Our Unexpected Reality
by Oa17
Summary: This story takes place like the show but with some twists, Damon and Elena were never a true couple, Klaus apparently was a bigger threat, not even becoming allies at any point and there was a slight fact that the show forgot to tell us about the relationship between Damon and Katherine. What if Damon was now a Medical Examiner that had to go undercover with Detective Gilbert?
1. Prologue

Hey guys! I have loved this story that I had written a few years back and now I am editing it to be a Delena story since we are all going to miss this couple. So I hope that you guys enjoy it! Please let me know if you have any suggestions, comments or ideas so that I can either try to incorporate them to the story or write a new one with those themes!

All my love, OA

Thanks and without further words... Our Unexpected Reality

 **Summary:**

This story takes place like the show but with a major twist, Damon and Elena were never a true couple. And Klaus apparently was a bigger threat to them that what the show ended showing, not even becoming allies at any point. Apparently also there was a slight fact that the show forgot to tell us about the relationship between Damon and Katherine. What if Damon was now a Medical Examiner and had to work with Detective Gilbert undercover? What will the investigation bring to them?

 **Prologue:**

 **Disclaimer: I do Not own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

 **Introduction**

 **EPOV**

It has been years since I met him. Since that day I walked to his boarding house and saw him, since that night where we were mysterious strangers and before life changing accidents. A lot has passed in this time and I am sure that there is still more to come. Our lives are complicated but we are drawn to each other, the force being so strong that not even the monster within him can fight it.

 **-Flashback-**

"Where the hell are you going?" As we turn around Stefan is glaring at us and I just playfully elbow Damon letting him know that he should have warned me about Stefan being there.

"We are going to solve a case, why you wanna join us?" Damon replied with a devilish smirk painted on his face.

"And get involved in all your mushy sexual tension work, no thanks, I rather stick needles in my eyes while scarfing down a bottle of tums, since it appears that I was the only one that is rational here." At this remark both Damon and I couldn't help but first gawk but then burst out laughing at his last remark!

"Glad I have monkeys in my face and am able to amuse you two." And with that he stood up

from the table and grabbed his bag, muttering something about going to the university to grade some papers. You see Stefan had decided that he wanted to spend his time teaching college students about science and the importance of research.

As we left the warehouse and headed for the crime scene, I was half listening what he was saying about the case, when I suddenly heard him call my name.

"Elena, are you listening to me?" Damon's voice came to me and disrupted my line of thinking.

"Yeah, of course." was the only thing that could come into my mind.

With a slight grin he just took his eyes of the road to look at me and asked "Then what was I telling you?" At my hesitation and slight blushing he just chuckled and went on to talk about the evidence and the potential perps that Caroline had digged up.

I just couldn't keep my head from wandering how had we became so lucky. Almost half a year ago, we were able to find a cure to vampirism that would allow us to keep some of our best features like strength and super speed, but return to a human life, well not after we had "taken care of" the people that where the heads of the "Eradicate Mystic Falls inhabitants project". After that we all decided to move to New York and our lives became somewhat normal, especially Damon's. We had found that one of the unmarked formulas in crazy Jonathan Gilbert's journals was actually a serum that would allow the vampires that consume them be human but harness the abilities of these magnificent creatures.

Caroline and I had decided that we still needed a little adventure and danger in our lives as well as a way to harness all of our vampire abilities to good use. This meant that we decided that becoming detectives like Caroline's mom would be a great career choice for us. Don't worry I still freelance with some magazines, especially when they require pieces on small town life and founding families. I also still write everything that happens in my diary, that is a habit that I will never be able to break. As for Damon, the idiot was well versed in crime and medicine (who the hell would have thought) and there being an opening for a medical examiner, Damon accepted Captain Bonnie's offer to become the new member of our precinct team. As for Caroline, let's just say that she did find the rock that she wanted, as she now is engaged to a pretty damn successful professor by the name of Stefan.

As for me and Damon...


	2. The Bride that forgot something blue

Hey Guys!

Thanks to those of you that read, reviewed and DM me. I really thought about leaving the story there and not keep posting but then I thought of those of you who enjoyed it and that I really love writing this so I decided to keep it going! Again for those of you that want to you can let me know your thoughts and ideas! Thanks and all my love. OA

 **CHAPTER 1: The Bride that forgot something blue.**

 **Disclaimer: I do Not own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

 **EPOV**

As for me and Damon, we had just stayed friends... unfortunately. The attraction between us was still there but he was too afraid to let go. We both were. Ever since Katherine, I haven't been sure that I was the best option for him. I know that I love him with my whole heart, mind and soul but I still want him to be happy and now that he is a free man, I cannot expect him to be with me and not experience the world and all of its options. He says that he doesn't care for any other women but still, the fact that he used to be a womanizer still makes me wonder if he would miss that lifestyle if we become a couple.

A sigh escaped my lips before I could even process what was happening. Damon looked at me as we parked at the crime scene and went around the car to open my door. "I'll not even ask what's wrong cause you have that "I do Not want to talk about it" face but if you need to talk you know that I'm here to listen, ok?" I couldn't speak, I was so in awe with the man that knew me so well and yet was unreachable to me, so I just nodded and went past him towards Caroline, who was kneeling beside the victim.

"What do we got?" I ask my partner as both Damon and I knelt to take a look at the victim.

"Women, late 20's and ready to get married. Unknown civilian called it in. And a good morning to you both as well..." she answered while giving both of us a weird look. "What? trouble in lover's cove?"

At this comment we both just looked up and give her a glare. She instinctively raised her hands up in a peace seeking fashion while saying something like "oh, ok let's just focus on the case".

"No, Caroline, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be like that, it's just that Damon and I are just really good friends and nothing more" I answered while from the corner of my eye I saw that Damon gave her a sad nod while looking at the victim.

After we checked the perimeter for any evidence we came back and started digging up information. We found out about the wedding, the guests, the bridal party, the families but especially the almost widower. After hours of questioning guests with no one seeing anything out of the ordinary, we headed down to the morgue where we saw Damon finishing some notes on the victim.

"Well it seems as if there was no struggle at all. I also found some soil particles that in conjunction with the bullet entry point, suggest that she was shot from the back, never expecting it. After she was shot the killer, who was methodical in not leaving any evidence in the body, turned her around before removing her garter" he informed us as we came into the room.

"Wait, what? Killed for a garter. You have got to be kidding me! What sick pervert would kill a girl for her garter?!" Caroline almost screamed in disgust at what she had just heard.

"Well that is what the evidence points out to. There is no sign of a struggle nor any evidence of attempted rape and the only thing that is missing from her is that, so I would assume that the killer either was seeking revenge for something that happened and took the garter as a trophy thinking that no one would notice or was a crazy obsessed stalker that wanted her for himself and when he couldn't he decided that she wants to be with no one else and after killing her was about to rape her but heard something and ran away, taking the garter as a reminder of her." Damon said in one breath seemingly disgusted with the theories he was presenting us with. He had really done a 360 and was now appalled by the bad things people did going so far as to try to amends some of his own past actions.

At that moment Bonnie came in practically screaming "Forbes, Gilbert, Salvatore, I need you guys to go up to a new crime scene a couple of blocks away from where you were this morning. Another bride has been found, this one a couple of days missing but still, might be linked to the case you have right now and you are up in the rotation anyways. So, come on move!" With that she left us and while Caroline and I went to our desks to grab our jackets and keys, Damon finished his notes and secured the body in the morgue fridges and met us outside to go evaluate the new victim.


	3. The Bride that lost something borrowed

SURPRISE! Here is a second chapter for today! Let me know what you think. All my love, OA.

 **CHAPTER 2: The Bride that lost something borrowed.**

 **Disclaimer: I do Not own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

 **EPOV**

As the three musketeers made our way towards the new crime scene, we could see even from a distance that it was a gruesome one. The drive here had been a very uncomfortable one since we all were silent, each in our own world thinking about possible ways we could have been in the same area of New York with two dead brides in less than 24 hours.

The victim was again id as a thirty something bride to be. She was last seen when she told her bridal party that she needed a couple of minutes of fresh air to calm her nerves before walking down the aisle. Everyone thought that she had runned away, that she had decided that marriage wasn't for her or that she didn't love the groom enough to spend the rest of her life with him. Little did anyone know that the beautiful bride with the crown of small lilac flowers weaved into her blond locks laid lifeless in the sewer of the wedding venue.

There had been some torrential showers in the last couple of days and the sewer had overflowed. This caused the body to be washed to the surface, where an unfortunate morning jogger had stopped to catch his breath. The poor man seemed out of it and who could blame him. Go out for a run in the early morning and encounter a decaying corpse even before breakfast, no thank you.

As he was being interrogated by Caroline and myself, Damon examined the girl and determined that the cause of death was a single bullet through the heart, just like the other girl from this morning. The difference is that this girl had put on one hell of a fight. From the different marks on her bones, he could deduct that she had fractured her right wrist either in hitting the killer or using her hands as shields to protect her face from any blows thrown her way.

Once he heard we were done, Damon came over and related his findings while letting us know that they would have more information once he was able to get to the lab and do all of the tests that he needed.

"But are they connected? Do we have a serial killer or is it just a coincidence that two brides were killed in the same part of New York with a single bullet through the heart?" Caroline asked as she flipped through her notes.

I just shrugged my shoulders while saying "We can't rule anything out but we do know that they were killed with different guns, since the bullets are for guns of different models and calibers but we won't know until we go back to the precinct and see if there is any connection between the two ladies and/or their family and friends." With that we all headed back and went to do our jobs.

The next two days went by with sluggish speed. Caroline and I had interrogated more than 30 people from both almost weddings with no avail. Everyone had an alibi, everyone was in the same page, no one had real motive. We were at a road that looked as if it was a dead end. There was no apparent connection between the two cases and there was no leads to anything.

As I started to go over all the notes from both cases for the fourth time I heard some footsteps coming towards my desk. I reached for my gun and turn around as fast as I could with the hope of surprising my assailant only to find Damon with his hand in the air in a surrendering way.

"Damon, what the hell?" is all I could say as I tried to bring my heart rate back to normal.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I thought that you should have been in your apartment about an hour ago. What are you still doing here?"

I only was able to reply with the "great" comeback of "I can ask you the same question."

He just shrugged his shoulders and handed me a file that I hadn't noticed he was carrying until now.

"It's all the things I could and couldn't find on both victims. There seems like nothing is connected between them only the fact that both were killed with a single bullet to the heart, but other than that, nothing. Sorry I couldn't be of any more help." He looked defeated and tired but determined and my heart just involuntarily skipped a beat.

"No worries, that's where my job kicks in. So I'll see you tomorrow then." My voice was more deflated than what I wanted to show but I was tired and really didn't care about that tonight.

"Elena, you didn't answer my question."

He looked at me with a soft yet saddened expression that just made me melt. I could just stare into those blue eyes for hours and hours and never actually get tired of it. I mentally shook myself to focus on what he had asked me and I turned to look at the piles of files that covered my desk and to the computer screen that was running some information through the data from old cases.

"I was just looking over the notes again. I don't know Damon but something tells me that there is more to these cases than what meets the eyes. I feel like we are missing something, something big, important. That these cases are connected but I just don't know how! I can't shake the feeling that the missing link is right here, in front of our noses but we are just overlooking it."

Damon just placed a strong hand on my shoulder and gently spined me to make me look at him. With a voice so soft and musical that just made me shiver when hearing it he told me

"Elena, you are exhausted, you need to rest. I promise, we can look over everything again tomorrow, heck as many times as you like but you need to rest. And don't say that you aren't tired because you look as if you were about to pass out of pure exhaustion."

I just shook my head and told him that I was just going to finish what I was doing, then head back to the apartment and that he should go home but he just gave me a stern look which he later softened.

He let out a defeated sigh and said "Then I will stay here and help you look over everything so that way you can finish faster and be on your way to bed!" And with that we started to go over every little detail of the cases, dissecting as many things as we could, just the two of us in that empty precinct.


	4. The perfect wedding dress

Here is the next chapter, hope you like it... OA

 **CHAPTER 3: The perfect wedding dress.**

 **Disclaimer: I do Not own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

 **EPOV**

"Gilbert, Gilbert, oh for the love of God Elena!"

I could hear a voice far away calling my name but I just couldn't quite get what was happening. I was in a state of pure oblivion, a state of darkness. I just wanted to slip away into the black hole again. I wanted to sleep and I couldn't understand what was happening. Then I slowly and unwillingly started to come out of that darkness. As I slowly opened my eyes I had to adjust myself to the amount of light that was hitting my face at that moment. As I lifted my head up I realized that this was not my room and I was slightly disoriented since I didn't know where I was. Then I looked to my side and saw an angry Bonnie trying to wake Damon up. Then everything came flooding back to my memory. Last night Damon and I had stayed very late at the precinct to look over the information of the cases. We had ordered some chinese take out and had made some coffee to try to keep ourselves awake but it seems that at some point in the night we had drifted into sleep. Then I realized that I was wrapped up in a blanket and a small smile creeped its way to my face as I realized that Damon must have put that on to keep me warm as I was in slumber.

 **DPOV**

I couldn't move. I just couldn't. I distinctly heard Bonnie's angry voice calling me and telling me to wake up. I could hear the movement of the other detectives as they come in to work and stopped curious at the scene that they were witnessing. I can hear that Elena is awake at my side but has still to say a word. I softly groan and stifle my complains as I lifted my head from my hands that were laying on the desk. My back hurts from falling asleep in that position and I just ignored Bonnie's questions while I stood up and stretched myself. As I did this I can clearly hear the gasps of several of the female officers as they looked at my flexing muscles and I stifled a cocky grin. Then I focus my attention at Bonnie and Elena who has started to answer the Lieutenants questions.

 **EPOV**

"Good morning to you too Bonnie." I wanted to tell her to lower her voice, because she was starting to give me a headache. As if that that where enough I looked up to see Caroline's suggestive look as well as her eyebrows going up. I stifled a groan and a roll of my eyes and focused back at Bonnie who is saying something like we knew we aren't suppose to stay here the whole night, that we are to leave when our shifts are over, that she isn't going to pay us over time, yada, yada, yada.

"Bonnie can you just stop there, please. I was working on looking on the notes of the cases that we are looking into. It was late, no one was here and Damon offered to help me look at the information that we had. Time just passed by and we ended up falling asleep. No need to make a fuss out of it. And if you'll excuse me I will go grab some coffee because I desperately need a hit of caffeine. Oh and for your information we found an old case that could be connected to these two."

And with that I just stood up and walked up the stairs to grab a cup of coffee while I felt all eyes looking at me in shock.

After I grab a cup of coffee and brought one for Damon, we were called in to Bonnie's office with Caroline being in the black list as well. I sent an apologetic glance to both of them as we made our way in.

"So, now that you have coffee, care to explain..." she motioned to my desk and I knew that she was talking about what we had discovered last night.

"It is nothing very concrete but we noticed that from what the matron of honor had told us, that the bride had borrowed her pearl earrings and there were no earrings on the body when we recovered her."

Damon jumped in and added "Even with the fact that the body had started to decay and that it had spent a couple of days in the sewer, it was pretty well preserved and we recovered almost everything from her, including her necklace, bracelets and engagement ring, so there is a very high possibility that the earrings were taken. Also we swept the sewer, the area around where the body was found as well as the basement of the building and couldn't find any evidence."

Here I jumped in and added "So the only connections of the two cases are the single bullet to the heart and the fact that both brides were missing something. Then we took the information that we had and send it through the database and found another case, about 5 block from where these cases were found, and being handle by precinct 86, that was about a bride murdered. Single bullet through the heart. But get this, apparently she had been sedated with chloroform and her dress taken off her body before she was shot."

"Well I might add something to that" Caroline said as she got back into the room after she had excused herself a couple of minutes ago "your computer just got a hit on the last bride and looking over her info there is a connection between her and the missing garter bride. They were both part of this arts academy that's, let's just say, in the center of where the murders took place." We all looked at the files that Caroline had brought in and then Damon jumped in to say

"Well there is a connection of all three brides to the art academy." We all looked confused at him and I just asked him "but the missing something borrowed bride wasn't enrolled there." "Yes, but her fiancé is. So the murderer is killing girls that are about to get married and have a connection to the academy." Damon offered as he pointed to the information of the bride's fiancé.

"So we have a bride serial killer that loves art, how ironic." Caroline said with a disgusted look on her face.

"Ok so that settles this. You three are going undercover to that academy. I'll make a couple of calls but be ready to immerse yourselves in the life of art starting this afternoon." Bonnie exclaimed as we all gawked at her and started saying that we were not gifted in arts whatsoever and that they could send some other detectives in as undercovers because they would be better off looking through information in the precinct as well as the fact that there might be people that recognize them. Heck Damon even added the fact that he was the Medical Examiner and not a detective and that they needed him for other cases.

"No, no buts. You three are going. No one will recognize you two because I don't recall any of you interviewing people from there, Martinez was the one that was in charge of those interviews. As for you Salvatore, you put some of the pieces of the puzzle together so you're going to help them brainstorm. Plus your assistant can take care of the cases that come in while you're there. You three will have to be in character the whole time you're there, which we don't know how long it will be since we are digging for evidence and a potential perp. Forbes, as you have two left feet you will stay in your room processing and adding to the database every detail that Gilbert and Salvatore find.

"But, but chief.." Caroline tried to intervene but was cut off by Bonnie "I said no buts, you two you are going to go into the academy I don't care what you say you wanna do once in there but make sure that you are involved in the circle the girls were in. Oh and before I forget you two have to go in as a couple and Salvatore you will propose to Gilbert once you have gained the circle's trust."

"WHAT?!"


	5. WHAT!

And another one today! YEY! OA

 **CHAPTER 4: WHAT?!**

 **Disclaimer: I do Not own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

" _I said no buts, you two you are going to go into the academy I don't care what you say you wanna do once in there but make sure that you are involved in the circle the girls were in. Oh and before I forget you two have to go in as a couple and Salvatore you will propose to Gilbert once you have gained the circles trust."_

" _WHAT?!"_

We were all in shock as Bonnie gave a small chuckle and started to walk towards the door and leave it open for us to get out of there. "Well you two seem close since you decided to spend the night at the precinct ordering chinese take out and everything and Forbes will be the chaperone. So get back to work and then after lunch go pack and meet me here at 3pm so I can give you all the details and be on your way."

Bonnie's tone said that the discussion was over and that if we wanted to keep our jobs we would just have to accept what it was and "go with the flow".

As we left the office we all headed to our respective work places and didn't even utter a single sound, each immersed in our own thoughts...

 **CPOV**

Well this is going to be interesting and annoying. On the one part I hate the fact that I get the short end of the stick. I have to be cooped up in a freaking room for who knows how long in a God forsaken neighborhood. Alone, bored out of my mind... well I better pack some movies, maybe some books and magazines ... God I'm gonna be bored out of my mind, thanks to my lousy, no good boss. But on the other hand, I was going to be fun having to see those two be a couple. Everyone knows they like each other, hell you would have to be blind not to see it, wait scratch that, even blind people can feel the attraction between those two. Hell, I can even venture off to say that without a doubt these two love each other. This last one is my theory but I haven't been able to crack any of them, maybe I can get prove on this trip. Hum, at least I found something that will keep me entertained. Now the question is what will I pack to wear?

 **DPOV**

I can't believe this, I just can't! Once I get to my office at the morgue I lock myself in and let myself sink into the chair in my desk. What the hell did just happen? I run my fingers through my hair as I try to make sense of what am I feeling at this moment. There are so many things going through my head right now. Ok, breathe Damon, just breathe. This clears my head a little bit and I try to figure out what we are going to do. We have to go into an art academy, that ought to be interesting, gain the trust of the circle of friends, easier said than done, and I have to propose to Elena. Propose. Ok, so even if it is as an undercover project, even if it is fake, I can't make myself not feel nervous about it. I know that she has to say yes but I still don't know how or where or when. How about a ring? What would she like? Woah, Damon remember that it is not reality, as much as you want it to be it's not. She has made it perfectly clear that she wants to be friends, colleagues. Oh God if only it were real, if only I could really propose and she would really accept to be my wife. If we were to share the rest of their lives together. Snap out of it Salvatore, it's a job and you have to focus, you are after a killer not a romance. Ok so change subjects, we'll need a copy of the notes I took from the bodies and I have to stop by the boarding house, I should really make Stefan move out soon and get a place at Caroline's preference, and grab some clothes, comfortable ones if we are to be in an art academy. I hope I don't have to sing nor dance. Oh, and I should probably grab my leather jacket as well... my mind just keeps making a mental note of all the things I have to pack as I print out a copy of my notes and set them inside a file so we can take them with us.

 **EPOV**

Bonnie did NOT just do this to me! Did she hate me? What the hell did I ever do to her that she felt the need to punish me? Did she know how much pain she is going to put me through?! Oh God how much would I love if the proposal Damon was going to do to me were a reality! How much would I love that the words of love that will flow from his mouth where true! How would I love that the ring that he will slip on my finger was really a symbol of our love, our overcoming love. How much would I love to hear him say "My Fiancé" and to say "he is my fiancé" knowing that the words are true! How much would I love to know that I were to prepare a wedding where I would become the wife of the man that I completely and truly love, knowing that we would spend the rest of our lives together! Snap out of it Lena! You are a grown woman, a detective with an assignment that you have to complete, even if it breaks your heart. Even if what he thinks is you acting as if you love him is merely what you really wanna be showing all the time. Why did I ever tell him in that night in my fire escape after we got our humanity back that I thought it was best for us to be friends, colleagues, and to stick to cases? What the hell was wrong with me? I know Gilbert, you were afraid to love and be loved, to be dependant emotionally of someone else after all the people you loved died and left you alone. You were afraid to not be in control of your feelings of the possibility of sharing your life with someone. And now is too late! Now he is a gentleman and will never tell you how much it hurt him in the beginning, he closed his emotions towards you like he did with all his emotions when you first met him, and he will never tell you when he is to go out on a date since he is no longer a cocky womanizer but you know that you lost him and that he will never be yours. Stupid, mistake. If I had to pick my most moronic move, my worst mistake that night wins by a long run! Ok, just forget about this Gilbert, just focus on getting evidence and finding the sick psycho serial killer. Focus Lena, just Focus.

After lunch everyone went home to pack and by three the gang was there waiting for further instructions.

"Ok so you guys will stay in two little appartments about a block and a half away from the academy. They are side by side apartments and have a door that connects them. Gilbert and Forbes you guys have one room and Salvatore the other but if you are having friends over, which I suggest you do to get their trust, the happy couple will have to be together in one of the apartments while Forbes stays out of sight. Capish." Bonnie said as she gave us the keys to the apartment as well as a piece of paper with the address written in it.

"Once you have a good feeling that the group likes you two, Salvatore you will propose to Gilbert in front of the group since we believe that the perp is either one of them or has a connection to them and we want to spread the word to get him/her excited."

We nodded our heads and kept listening to her instructions.

"Salvatore you take care of the ring. Might want to use the excuse of buying it to get some bonding time with the people that you guys have on the top of your lists for potential perps. Oh and please get a ring at this store, here's the address, I already called them and explained the situation so they will lend us a ring so Gilbert take care of it or it's coming off your paycheck! If by then we haven't gotten the perp yet, we'll see what we will do. Ok so that's it, on your way. Oh, before I forget, here are the papers that you will need to get into the academy. Everything is taken care of with the uttermost discretion but still and for simplicity purposes you guys use your same names."

To this I gave her a weird look and asked "But boss, if we use our same names and the perp does a check on us wouldn't that scare him or her away?"

She shrugged and said "I know and that is why I want you guys to say that you two were, emphasis on the word were, part of the NYPD but that there is some kind of "unknown" rule in the precincts that colleagues can't be together, let's just say conflict of interests, and that you are so in love that decided to leave the force to be together and are now pursuing your share passion for the arts. That way the perp knows that you guys are part of the force but think that you are quote on quote retired. Any more questions? No, good now get going and keep us up to date Forbes."

And with that we were on our way to a new life experience, even if it were for a couple of days, where I would live out a dream of being an important part of Damon's life.

We soon got to our destination, filling out our papers in the academy and then going to settle down in the apartments. Well, this is going to be interesting.


	6. The perfect Maid of Honor

And the final one for today! You are welcome! OA

 **CHAPTER 5: The perfect Maid of Honor.**

 **Disclaimer: I do Not own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

 **EPOV**

A couple of days have passed and we are completely settled in, well as best we can for the task. My things are literally torn in half, since I have some of my articles in Damon's apartment while the rest are at Caroline's. I sleep in Caroline's apartment but we leave the door that connected both apartments always open, just in case something happens. God, it was torture to know that Damon was sleeping so close to me and yet so far.

The first night that we were there, I was finishing arranging the things that I was to leave at Damon's when he came out of the shower. His hair was still wet and he hadn't put a shirt on. God, he was gorgeous. I know that he must have heard my heart rate increase and he maybe even saw the blush that crept to my face but I rapidly closed the drawer I was working with mumbled an apology and ran to the other apartment and busied myself arranging the rest of my things.

Nothing like that has happened again, I think he is careful not to embarrass me, especially since Caroline is there, and for that I am grateful. Well, moving on, in the academy we ended up having to enroll in some history of music, history of dance classes but the most important one was a choreography class. This class we took, even if either of us actually had never danced nor choreographed before, because we figured out that most of the people in there where of advanced studies and were more or less the complete circle of friends of the victims. The thing that scared me the most was that tomorrow we had to start actually learning the choreography that the two of the girls had done and we would have to really dance. Of course Damon and I were partnered together. Since we were the only couple in the class, we probably have to lead the dance, that is until they see how bad we are, since it was a romance and we were supposed to be in love.

To anyone outside the little group we seemed like the best of friends, like sister and brother. We never kissed, since we didn't believe in public displays of affection, and we only hold hands. Every once in awhile, when we know the group is attentive, we will either have a hug or he will gently kiss my cheek, forehead or head.

Tonight we are heading to a wedding with guns, earpieces and microphones in place. It is our first public outing as "a couple" and it brings back so many memories. The only things that are playing right now in my head is our Miss Mystic Falls dance. The fact that he went there and saved me from being embarrassed when Stefan, my original escort, was nowhere to be found. But all that aside we would have to be very focused on the bride. The girl that was to get married was the sister of one of the dancer of the group and she invited all of her brother's friends, including Damon and myself. She was a sweet girl and very in love but she didn't know that she was in grave danger. We had planned that Caroline would go and patrol the outside of the wedding venue and if nothing happened by then she would keep an eye out at the reception.

So we went and there was no hitch at the wedding, everything was beautiful. The wedding reception was perfect and the couple looked really in love. Damon and I shared a dance or two, conveniently going to eat or get a drink every time a slow dance came on. We needed to keep up the appearance of a young couple that had been invited to a wedding and we're having fun but at the same time we had to look out for the bride. When the happily married couple left for their honeymoon, all three of us let out a sigh of relief as the bride had no attempt on her life and everything went by without a hitch. Plus none of us could identify a potential perp. Just as we were about to leave we heard a scream coming from down the hall. There shoved inside the cleaning supplies closet, laid the naked body of the maid of honor, with a single bullet to the heart.

"Damn it! We were so focused on the bride that we never even thought of keeping tabs on anyone else from the bridal party, nor the groomsmen. Damn that perp!" Damon hissed under his breath but I was so close to him that I heard him clearly.

"There is no way that we would have known! The normal pattern was the bride and before the wedding, we would have never expected this!" I said trying to control his anger and lift the guilt he had clearly written in his face.

"We need to catch that pervert and fast!" was all he said before turning and calling Bonnie, to ask her to get in touch with the local precinct and get him some one-on-one with the victim.

After we had secretly and discreetly gathered as much evidence as we could and had talked with some of the guests, without blowing our cover, we headed back to the apartments, where Damon was already there with his notes of the body. "Same thing, no prints, hairs or fibers but a single bullet through the heart. It looks like it might be connected to the other ones that we have seen. And if it is so, we can see that the perp knows what he is doing. These are not crimes of rage, they are meticulous and well calculated. He is careful of prints, even when he is sedating the victims to remove their clothing and then finishes the job, either to fulfill a morbid desire to kill or just to cover his identity." We just sat there silently, looking through the notes for the millionth time to try to get a sense of why weren't we able to connect the dots. After some time we decided that Caroline was going to be heading to the local precinct the next day to look through their cases and see if there was any other one that could be connected to these.


	7. Assesing The Situation Part 1

Here is another chapter for OUR! All my love, OA

 **CHAPTER 6: Assessing the situation. Part 1.**

 **Disclaimer: I do Not own any of the main characters in this story (except for Dan, Erik, Anna, Claire, Pearl, Hayley and Jenna). There owned by The CW and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

 **EPOV**

Once rays of light came through the apartment's windows that morning and their heads hadn't touched their pillows for an hour, loud knocks sounded through the calm of the rooms. Caroline was the first one to wake up and taking her gun from the nightstand, she came by and woke me up. I silently slid to Damon's room and saw that he was already making his way to the door prepared to attack if need be. As he was motioning me and Caroline to stay in our room, we heard a familiar voice come through the door.

"Salvatore, Forbes Gilbert, open the damn door!"

Damon automatically flew the door open. Bonnie stood there with this irritated look on her face. "What the hell took you so much time to open a damn door?!" she greeted us.

"Well I don't know maybe that we were trying to get at least a full hour of sleep after having to check evidence for the latest case the entire night or the fact that we need to be careful if it were the killer coming to get us cause he discovered our identity as undercover cops and medical examiner" Damon reiterated, running his agitated fingers through his hair.

Out of habit, I move to his side and place my hand in his arm to try to calm him down. He just looks down at me with a thank you in his eyes. When I noticed that he had calmed down I retrieve my hand from his arm and look down at my hands that are aimlessly playing with my pajama shirt since I noticed that both Bonnie and Caroline had been silently observing us. Once the silence and the tension in the room had escalated to a high point that I didn't know that existed, I decided to take the plunge and break the silence.

"So, not to be rude or anything, but what are you doing here and so early boss?"

I think that that snapped her back from what she was thinking as she motioned for us to follow her to the table in Damon's room. She opened the bag she was holding, which I hadn't noticed that she had and took out some files as well as her personal computer. We then started going over everything, again, and after a few calls she was able to send Caroline over to the local precinct to get some files of potential cases related to the ones we were trying to connect and solve.

"By the way, I think it's time to step up the game. Have you guys been 'properly' introduced into the inner circle of the arts academia?" Bonnie asked with apparent disinterest in the whole situation. As we informed her of our work as undercover art students, she decided to go for the plunge and thrust a knife through my heart.

"Well that's good. Oh by the way I don't see a rock on your finger. So Salvatore your job is to round up the boys and go get a ring ASAP and Gilbert be sure to organize a little get together here. I don't really care what the reasons that you use are but get it done. And make an excuse to have Forbes here. Between the three of you get a sense if they all interact with each other the same way in this environment and in the academy. Then Salvatore propose and afterwards be on the lookout for any suspicious activity against the bride to be. I'm heading out and keep me informed of the progress that has been done. Tell the plan to Forbes and get on those cases that she'll bring to see if there is something worth digging up again."

And with that last note, Bonnie left for the office, leaving a stunned Damon and I in the room. Just as the silence was starting to get uncomfortable, we were saved by Caroline and the huge pile of folders that came through the door. And with those folders in hand and a couple of beers we spend the whole weekend. Two detectives and a medical examiner looking through death to try to make the lives of other people be better.

Monday came around with a new day and a plan to be started. As I was headed to the academy to some rehearsals that evening, me and the girls were informed that the boys were skipping to go have some bro time. All of the girls were mad, and I had to act in the indignation especially towards my boyfriend even though both of us knew that this was to see any out of the norm reaction for any of the group and to get the plan in motion. Because of this the remaining people, aka the girls decided to cancel rehearsals and just head out and grab lunch as a group. This was the perfect opportunity to gather information about them as I knew Damon was doing the same thing with the boys.

Once we had all gotten settled and gotten our orders taken at the little french cafe that we had decided to go and grab lunch, we settled into a chatter about the production that we were working in and about the classes being taken and the professors that were giving them. I don't know how but at some point the conversation went from school to relationships. Bingo, just want I need!

"Well I was once engaged" Anna, one of the girls was saying, "but then two nights before the wedding I caught him cheating on me with my supposedly best friend and maid of honor in my own bed!" Indignation ran through the group.

"For me was that my boyfriend of forever and the guy I had decided that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with had another life. Turns out that he wasn't even called Jonathan! He had decided that he was tired of his old life as a cashier and of his nagging wife, so he packed and created a fake identity and a new girl to play with. I had my eyes opened by the police officers that came to arrest him for it!" said Pearl.

"Well lets see I have had so many guys in my life that have the damn three month rule and just when I think we are getting closer, bam, it's over, done and they're gone" added Hayley.

"My Slater wasn't as bad. He was a typical guy, had his moments but I loved him. Oh, how I loved him. I know that some part of me still does and will always love him. I know what you are thinking and no he didn't cheat on my or ran away. He actually died in a car crash on the way to the restaurant where we were meeting to have diner. Drunk bus driver didn't even noticed that the light was red. And that's not the end of it, when I got his things in the hospital I found a little black box. Yes, he was going to propose to me that same night but he never got to. I know that it will sound weird but I have kept the ring all these years and have always wondered what he would have said if he would have had the chance to propose." related Rose as all of us tried to comfort her in any way we could.

After this Jenna jumped in to tell her story "Well at least you guys got a little piece of happiness with your guys, I never did. You see, we grew up together, him, his sister, my brother and myself. We were neighbors and we did everything together. We were each other's first kiss one summer when we were nine and we were our first dates to the junior prom, we of course said that we were going together as friends cause we didn't want to go alone. As we grew older I honestly don't know when I forgot to see him as another brother and started to look at him as a man and a lover. I never told him cause I was too afraid to lose him. I would rather be his friend than to completely lose him. So life went on and we kept growing. He dated and I didn't. I remember one time he sat me down and asked me if I trusted him and when I said yes he told me not to get angry at him. It turns out that he was starting to think that I was gay because I didn't date! I must have sat in shock for like five minutes because he literally had to shake me out of the trance I was in so I could tell him that I was definitely straight but that I just didn't feel prepared to start that stage in my life yet. In reality I didn't date cause the one person I would have said yes to would never ask. So anyway, life went on and on graduation day he proposed to his girlfriend surprising everyone even his family but especially me. Then I started distancing myself to the point that I went on to college as far away as I could and denied the invitation to be a bridesmaid saying that I wasn't able to attend fittings and activities due to college. Well end point of the story is that I never saw him again after I went to college. I, I couldn't go to the wedding and the next thing I know I get a call from my mom saying that someone had killed him and his bride the night of their wedding when everyone thought they were in their way to the honeymoon. And you know what the worst part is, not knowing who killed him or why?" She ended the story sobbing and we just tried to console her as best as we could.

After a moment of silence where Jenna composed herself she turned to me and asked me "so we have all shared unfortunately sad stories, Lena at least can you tell us a happy one? about you and Damon? to lighten the mood a little?" She had such a sad smile that I couldn't even help myself from feeling extremely sorry for this girl and what she had gone through. "Well, our story isn't traditional," which wasn't a lie "let me give you the big picture. When I was 17, I had just lost my parents in a bad car crash in which I was with them. After that I just couldn't open myself completely up again, I was broken. I couldn't bear the idea of becoming close to someone and have to lose them and feel my heart break again just like with my parents. So I closed myself off until I met and dates a guy named Stefan. He is actually Damon's brother." At this I heard a collective gasps and had to start laughing at their horrified expressions. "Yeah I dated Damon's little brother before I dated him. It's a long story guys. So, one thing lead to another and life, destiny whatever you want to call it had it destined that Damon and I would end up together. I will confess there was an instant connection between us. I felt like I knew him even if I spent anytime with him. Well yeah, circumstances lead us to work together and we became allies and partners and then friends and ever so slowly and without me even noticing it, he crept into my broken heart and started to fix it. We have had our highs and lows and I have been hurt by him as well as I have hurt him but this is part of any relationship and I think that this has made ours stronger." I said in complete honesty but then remembered that I still had a facade to play. "So yeah, one day we just decided to give this a go and here we are today." I ended and couldn't help myself from wishing that it were true. Just then and there I had a great idea to get the plan moving forward even more.

"Hey guys, I am thinking, I wanna do a get together, like a little party over at Damon and my apartment on Saturday. I know it's short notice and that we are two days away and you guys might have plans but I would really love for all of you to come. It's just that it's the anniversary of the day Damon and I met for the first time and I thought it would be a nice gesture to have a little party to celebrate that 'anniversary' with our friends! Plus my best friend is coming to visit and it's a good way for her to meet my new friends and get a warm welcome to the area. So what do you guys think? Are you in?"


	8. Assessing the situation Part 2

And here is the second part. OA

 **CHAPTER 7: Assessing the situation. Part 2.**

 **Disclaimer: I do Not own any of the main characters in this story. There owned by The CW and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

 **DPOV**

I know it was just part of the undercover plan but I still couldn't help but feel nervous as we headed towards the store. I remember that I had done this once before, many, many years ago. I had thought that I was going to have the perfect life with Katherine but boy was I wrong. Still I don't remember ever being even close to as nervous as I am right now and this isn't even real! If it were real what the hell would I have done?! I don't think I could have been able to do anything because of how nervous I would be. I couldn't help wishing it were true. That I was to propose to the woman that I truly love and that she would say yes, we would get married and start a family... Snap out of it Salvatore! You have thought about this way too many times and no matter how many more time you think about it and wish it will not be true! You are destined to be content with at least being in her life as a work colleague and a friend, but nothing more. This took my mind out of my nervousness and I got a little more able to have a deep conversation with the guys which was what I was suppose to be doing in order to know if one of them could be our potential perp.

As I look over I see that Tyler and Alaric are just looking at me as if I were crazy. "What?!" They just shrug and kept walking until I stopped dead in my tracks and looked at them "I am not moving an inch until you guys tell me what is on your minds." Well that out to get them talking, well at least to get something out of them.

Tyler was the first to talk and came closer putting a hand on my shoulder and with a look that I think reflected pity said "Dude, you sure you wanna do this? I mean, I have been with Hayley for a year but I just don't think that I wanna spend the rest of my life attached to one particular women. You know, plenty of fish in the sea... well I wanna be a fisherman while I'm still young and can catch many fishes..." I think that my expression was that of either anger or bewilderment because once he got a look at my face he stopped his explanation mid way through.

Alaric jumped in saying "Ok so Damon, I know that you love this girl and you can see yourself spending the rest of your life with her but don't you think you are rushing things?"

I give him a confused look and just straight up answer "We have known each other for years. I think that I know her better than I know myself and she knows me better than I know myself. I know that I can count on her for anything and I think that the she thinks the same. I know that I can't live without her. I can't imagine a life where she is not there. I can't imagine waking up in the morning and know that I won't see her. I need her more than I need water or food, hell I need her more than I need to breathe. She is the the reason I am here right now, she came in and took me out of a very, very dark place in my life. She is the sun of my days and the light in my darkness, she is the sole reason for my existence..."

"Man, ok, I get it but stop with the mushy stuff! If you wanna tie yourself up to this chick thats up to you!" Tyler cut through my speech.

Alaric just glared at Tyler and turned to me "Damon, with what you just said I think that the best thing for you is to do what your heart is telling you and that is to marry this girl. I can see that you really care about her by the way you look at her with so much love. The way you glow, yeah I said glow, when you talk about her and by the way you touch her like she is the greatest treasure in the world that is so fragile and can break. So, dude, I'm a hundred percent behind your decision."

With that we all started walking again with the jewelry store as our destination. I can't help but think that all I said was what my heart had so stubbornly tried to repress for so long, after Elena decided that it was better to be just friends and nothing more. I couldn't help think about what had Alaric just told me about my character. I had never noticed the way I acted around Elena or when I talked about her. Did she noticed this? Did Caroline or someone else we know noticed this? These were my thought as we got to the store and step in.

Just then we are approached by a young lady "Hello gentlemen, is there something I can help you with?"

With that I step up and tell her "Yes, I need some help regarding an engagement ring." The words felt so foreign to me yet I couldn't help feeling slightly happy and terrified of all the implications that those words had.

She just smiled and motioned us to follow her as she said "You have come to the right place. I think I can help you with that."


	9. Something old Part 1

Hey guys! Thank for reading this and for those of you who have reviewed this! I just wanted to point that apart form being a little clueless as to their feeling for each other, they are like this because they spend all their time and energy worrying and trying to hide it from the other one. This means that they don't really have the time to analyze the others behavior towards them therefore making them clueless. I know its annoying but I love to laugh at them when they are this obtuse! And to me makes it sweeter when they realize the truth, which everyone already knows, and can have a good laugh at their stupidity... but enough of my babbling and lets get on with today's chapter! Let me know what you guys think! All my love, OA.

 **CHAPTER 8: Something old. Part 1.**

 **Disclaimer: I do Not own any of the main characters in this story. There owned by The CW and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

 **EPOV**

Saturday came by faster than I wanted it to come. Who knew that organizing a small gathering would take so much effort? Even though Caroline did most of it herself (we all know that she loves to plan parties and take charge of these situations), I still felt it was way too much work for a small party. Well at least I know that I hate parties, well organizing them actually. I don't mind going to one or getting free drinks. That reminds me, mental note, pick up the margarita machine and some ice.

Just as I was finishing getting ready, I heard a soft knock on the connecting door of the apartments. I don't have to even look to know that Damon is checking up on me so I just wave my hand so he knows he can come in. "Wow, you look amazing." he says as he looks at my dress. I can't help but slightly blush and at that point I turn around and look at him with a teasing smile on my face. "Well I have to look at least decent when I have my fake proposal." At my words I think Damon's smile faded, but it was just so quick that my eyes might have been playing tricks on me. Without any words nor question he moves around me and grabs the necklace from the dresser and fastens it around my neck. As he is doing this I can't help but remember that the last time, well the only other time, he has done this at my 18th birthday party. It is the time where Damon has been at his most selfless and it was the moment that I knew that I loved him.

To get my head to focus I just looked at him as I added the earrings to my ensemble and asked him "Ready to do this? You got the ring right? From where Bonnie said to?"

"Elena, don't worry, everything is taken care of. You just be worried of being a good hostess and actually listening to the guests to see what information can we get. Tyler and Alaric are on their way and I know that Tyler is bringing Hayley, but are the other girls coming?" He told me as he took a seat on my bed.

"Well I talked to them yesterday and they said they were going to be here and they haven't told me otherwise, so I am expecting them here." I answered.

Just then we heard a knock on Damon's door. We looked at each other in shock as the person who was at the other side of that door was almost an hour early! Just when I was going to run to his room and shut the door, Damon gently grabs my wrists and detain me. As I look at him confused, he chuckles and tells me "Relax, no need to start the charade yet." I was so nervous that I hadn't even tried to use my vampire senses to determine who it was. With that he walked out of the room to open the door and a couple of seconds later to my surprise Stefan walked into the room. "Well if it isn't the fake bride to be." was his greeting to me.

"Well, hello to you too Stefan." I counteract as I have nothing else to say, my mind being in full shock. "Not to be direct or anything, but what are you doing here? Wait, why did you call me 'fake bride to be'?" and without letting him answer I looked at Damon who had lowered his head and I glare at him "You told him! Look I know that we can trust him and, no offense Stefan, but this is work and this was top secret! What if someone tapped into your phone while you were telling him? That would have blown our cover!" And without letting him answer I stormed into the bathroom. I needed to think.

 **DPOV**

"None taken" I hear Stefan murmur under his breath but I can fully hear him. "So you didn't actually tell your girlfriend that you told me about the whole fake proposal thing? Don't you think that will cost you some points with her?"

"First of all brother, she is not my girlfriend and will never be since she has said that very clearly before. Second, no I didn't tell her because I didn't want her to worry as she is doing now. Thirdly, what the hell are you doing here? I told you so you knew that if you needed anything I was not at home, so you would not have to come here. Beside how did you actually find me?" I ask him getting confused since I remember that I never told him where I was for the secrecy state of the case and me being undercover.

"Well in all honesty, I am here cause I can't miss the way you guys are going to 'act' that you are in love and that you are going to get married, plus it's a free party, who could say no to that? And as to how I found you it was easy, tracked your phone." He said with a triumphant look in his face.

"Well you can hang out in the other apartment since that one is mine and this one is for Caroline and Elena. As for me, I have to wait to make some amends" I said as I shook my head in the direction of the bathroom.

 **EPOV**

I don't know how long I was inside that bathroom. I was so angry when I came in here that I forgot to either grab my watch or my phone, so I had no idea about time passing. To me it felt like hours but it probably must have been just minutes. If it were longer I am pretty sure that he would have knocked on the door and asked me if I was ok, even though he could clearly hear my heart and know that I was, well physically anyway, since emotionally I was a wreck. I wasn't actually angry that he had told Stefan, I had anticipated as much, I just needed some kind of excuse to lash out so I could hide my nervousness and sadness from him. I think it's better that he thinks that I am mad than to think that I am actually being affected by the fact that he is going to propose to me in a couple of hours. It's going to break my heart because I knew it was all an act, a pitiful yet wished act. "Get a grip on yourself Gilbert! You'll have to face him sooner or later!" Well, I think later is the better option, better yet let's stay in here until the first guests start to arrive. No, Elena you're the host, you have to be there when they get here." As I tried to subdue the internal war that my mind and my heart had with each other, I was thankful to hear the door open and Caroline coming in and asking where I was at.

"I'll be right out Care, just finishing up in here." I told here as I shook my head and put on a brave and calm face, mentally thanking that training to be a cop makes you learn to control your physical emotions in order to be neutral. As I stepped out into the room I saw that Damon had been quietly sitting in my bed and I knew that he had been there since I went into the bathroom.

As he was opening his mouth to tell me something I cut him out by saying "You don't need to say anything. I am sorry that I over reacted and I know that Stefan is very trustworthy, I just want to catch the bastard that is doing all of this and I don't want anything to blow our cover."

And with that I passed him and went up to Stefan "Hey, sorry that I overreacted. It's just that this case is stressing me out. I really appreciate that you are here to give us moral support, you're a good brother and friend." I say placing my hand on his shoulder. He shrugged as he studied the floor. "I assume that he told you the whole story of our undercover status" when he nodded I just continued "then remember that we are no longer with the NYPD. Ok, and just have some fun Stefan." And with that I moved over to the kitchen to help Caroline finish plating the last hors d'oeuvres.

Just as we were finishing, Damon stepped into the kitchen and told me that we needed to talk. I just looked at him and as I was going to make up an excuse for why we couldn't do that right now we heard a knock on the door. I mentally give thanks to however it is and just tell him "We'll talk later, when all of this is over. Let the show begin."

And just like that our night started. Our guests started slowly pouring in. Everyone mingled and talked, Stefan made several new friends and Caroline was busy getting information from the girls in the form of gossiping about everything and everyone, not excluding me unfortunately.

I moved from crowd to crowd offering food and drinks and eavesdropping in as many conversations as I could to see if I could catch something that might help our case. Unfortunately, that was not the case. As the night kept going up in crescendo and I was getting into the kitchen to make some more margaritas, I felt Damon's hand on the small of my back and a quick shiver went through me when I felt his breath on my neck as he whispered in my ear the two words that made my heart stop "It's time." I just nodded and finished the last of the margaritas that I was working with and let him guide me to the back of the room, near the window. I honestly don't think that I have ever been so nervous in my entire life. Just then he started to try to get our guests attention and when he finally did he turned to me and gave me a reassuring little smile and he started to address the crowd. At that moment, everything vanished for me, it was just him, his words and me.


	10. Something old Part 2

I know! I'm Bad! I am making it a habit of updating two chapters each day! It's just that my chapters are short and I want to give you guys something long to read but I just can't make myself write very long chapters so I am going to try to keep posting every time I post, which I will also try to do every day! So let me know what you think of this chapter. All my love, OA

 **CHAPTER 9: Something old. Part 2.**

 **Disclaimer: I do Not own any of the main characters in this story. There owned by The CW and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

 **DPOV**

This is the most nerve racking thing that I have done in my entire life. God, this was not even real, even if I wanted it to be. Then why was I so freaking nervous. I could feel that she was nervous too, her heart going at a faster pace than what it normally is but that is due to the fact that she has to react as if she were the happiest woman on earth when she says yes, which will be awkward due to our history and that she probably has someone that she loves. I look at her and give her my best reassuring smile, hoping to assure her with that simple gesture that I will never cross a line with her and that I will try to make the best out of this situation, giving her a small sorry for her having to go through this. I try to calm myself with a deep breath, I face the crowd and begin:

"Good evening to you all. I just wanted to thank you guys on behalf of Elena and myself, for taking the time to be here with us tonight to celebrate a special occasion. As many, if not all of you know, tonight marks the anniversary of the first time that Elena and I first met and we wanted to share this special day with our friends. Tonight as we mark a new year from the day that destiny decided to make us meet, in peculiar circumstances, if I say so myself." At this people chuckled, imagining all kinds of funny scenarios but only the two of us knew the reality of the situation.

When the noise and small commotion had settled down, I continued "So it is with this in mind that I ask you all to be witnesses of the next step of our lives." As some people looked confused, reluctant (the boys) or enthusiastic (the girls and much to my surprise Stefan) I turned and faced a pale Elena. She looked surprised and something else, maybe sad or nervous. I just smiled at her and took her hand in mine as I continued talking from the heart, even if she will never know that I meant every single word that fell from my mouth.

"A day like today a couple of years ago, you came into my life. Even when I pushed you away, you kept coming back because you were preoccupied of this stranger and your heart told you that I was in trouble and needed help. And I did. I had sunken into such a deep hole that even the thought of salvation and redemption weren't able to reach me. But that day was the start of a new beginning for me. You became the light in the end of the tunnel to which I directed my life, you became the best part of my day, the breath of fresh air that I needed to survive and the first and last thought in my mind each minute. You saw me when I didn't want anyone to see me, my dark side, my worst side and you didn't run, in fact the complete opposite, you believed in me when I wasn't able to believe in myself. Because of you we started to save each other. I can honestly say that I would not have the life that I have right now and I wouldn't be standing here in front of all of our friends if it wasn't for this amazing woman that stands before me." I can feel that the room was filled with excitement, it was almost tangible but that was all in the background, my main attention was the way Elena was looking at me. Her eyes were shining with unshed tears, her hands slightly shaking in their position between mine and her expression was of a person that is in awe. I didn't know if this was a reaction to my directness about our lives. Maybe she was angry that I have told things of her personal life without her consent, after all she is a very secretive person when it comes to her personal life and her feelings. But every word that has left my lips is what my heart has felt for a long time and the fact that, even indirectly, I am bearing my soul to her feels like so much weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I then take a deep breath to compose myself and keep going. "Elena, you have become my life and the thought of not having you in it is one I can't even bear to think. I would be lost without you as you are the compass of my all. You are my present, my future, my always and forever. I love you with all of my heart, mind and soul and I will continue to love you until I take my last breath and even beyond that, in the many lives that will come next. I know that lives aren't perfect nor fairytales, but I promise you that I will love you for all time and I will work with you to overcome any and all new obstacles that life may throw at us." With those words I take one of my hands from her and reach into my pocket to grab the small black box that had been there and knelt to the ground. "Elena Marie Gilbert, would you make me the luckiest men in the world and spend the rest of your life with me as my beloved and adored wife?" I knew what her answer was going to be but looking into those incredible brown eyes, it just felt so real, that I started to feel a bit nervous.

 **EPOV**

I couldn't think and it felt like I couldn't breathe. It was just so overwhelming. The fact that he had said all those things that were true of us, of our relationship, of our partnership. The fact that he had looked me straight in the eyes when he said all of those things, it just made me hope that it was real. It felt so real, God how I wanted it to be real. I mentally slapped myself to get me out of the trance that I was in and I smiled down at him as I said the only coherent word that was on my mind...

 **DPOV**

"Yes." As soon as that one word left her lips it was like time stopped. My heart swelled so gloriously and I let it. I decided that since it was never going to happen in reality, I would at least enjoy the time I have acting it. So I take the ring and slip it on her finger and then look into her eyes for any sign of hesitation as I pull her in for an embrace. It was too quick for my liking, but I reluctantly let her go so we can keep doing our jobs and mingling with the guests but just as I am about to turn around and move towards the guys, I hear a familiar voice start to chant "Kiss her, Kiss her, Kiss her..." So I look at Elena as she sheepishly smiles to the crowd and then lifted her gaze towards me. I was prepared to say something like 'we don't believe in public displays of affection' when she comes near me and places her hands on my waist and gives me a quick nod, one that only I could perceive, and with this authorization I slowly leaned down and kissed the woman that I love. And in that simple kiss, passionate yet delicate and sweet, I put all of my love for her and the promise that even if she doesn't love me back I will be in her life to protect her and to be the friend that she needs me to be.


	11. The perfect husband

Hey guys! Sorry about yesterday! I had no Internet and that is really not fun.. on the other hand I got to work on this story so YEY! Hope you like this and review to let me know what you think. All my love, OA.

 **CHAPTER 10: The perfect husband.**

 **Disclaimer: I do Not own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

 **EPOV**

The next morning I woke up and felt a little bit out of place. I noticed that I wasn't in my bed. A couple of seconds went by until I realized where I was. Bonnie had given us an assignment and we are in an apartment rented for this purpose. As I toss my legs to the side of the bed I noticed that I am not in my room. Looking around I could see that I was in Damon's room. I must have fallen asleep and he let me stay here.

Then I look to see where he is and see that he is sleeping in the couch. And very uncomfortably I might add. He is way too big to be sleeping on the couch. Half of his body doesn't fit in the small couch and he is sleeping on his side so he can fit in. I smile as I think of how sweet he is, preferring to sleep like this so I can have the bed and then being a gentleman and not getting into bed with me even though he has done it many times in the past. I then try to open the door that leads to my apartment but notice that it's locked. Hum, Caroline must have forgotten to unlock it after the party last night.

Since I have some of my things in this apartment I just look in the drawers, grab some clothes and head in to take a shower. As I was undressing myself I notice the ring that I have on my finger, my engagement ring. It is a stunning ring. It is in the shape of a knot and the center is a larger princess cut diamond with two lines of small diamonds that go to the sides. I have to be extremely careful with it since I have to return it and it must cost quite some money, cause its just rows of diamonds! God, what a beautiful ring! It just feels so right to have it on and its like it is meant to be mine. It represents simplicity and elegance, things I don't have but that I feel everytime I'm with him.

As if on cue I hear him get up and softly call my name. "I'm just gonna take a shower. Be right out." I tell him as I go into the water and let it wash away the sadness of this not being real and helping me calm my nerves and rapid heartbeat at the realization that I do not have the keys for my apartment and will have to be here, alone with Damon until Caroline wakes up and that is God knows when cause I'm assuming she is drunk from yesterday's party.

After finishing washing my hair and body, I walked out of the bathroom to find Damon in the kitchen making some breakfast and coffee. Why didn't I noticed that I was so hungry before?

"You hungry?" He asked me without even glancing back as he is flipping a pancake and keeping an eye on the omelet he is making.

"Starving. I didn't realize until I came out that I haven't eaten since lunch yesterday. I was so busy preparing everything that I forgot to eat dinner and then during the actual thing I was busy passing hor d'oeuvres and drinks that I didn't eat any myself. I'm surprised I didn't pass out or anything! By the way that smells incredible!" I complimented him and I can see a hint of a shrug before he turns to me and says:

"One of my hidden talents. I am actually a pretty good cook. You don't remember when I helped you make chilli since your family made crappy chilli? Besides I got to perfect my skills in my many centuries of travel. And then living with Stefan means that dinner is equal to chinese takeout or TV dinners, so if I wanted a homemade meal I had to make it myself." He grinned as he put an omelet in front of me.

"So, any other hidden talent I should know about?" I asked him out of curiosity as I take a bite of my omelet "Ummmm, this is amazing Damon! I can honestly say that this is the best omelet that I have tasted in my entire life!"

"I am glad that you like it. There is plenty of food where that came from. As for other hidden talents, I can tell you that I am extremely good at board games, especially scrabble and monopoly. When you have a lot of free time and aren't binge drinking AB negative, you need to pass the time with something and I perfected myself in the art of board games." He said very proudly as he placed bacon, sausage and fruit platters on the kitchen bar for me to eat.

"Good to know. Remind me to never bet against you if you're playing board games with someone, better yet remind me to bet for you in that situation." I stated while I filled my plate with the food he had just made, which really was great, not adding the fact that I was so hungry I could eat the whole New York Zoo!

He laughed and the sound sent delicious shivers through my body. "Sure thing! Speaking of reminders, we need to talk with Caroline and Stefan to see if they caught anything worthwhile yesterday. And I need to clean up this place and report to Bonnie. Thank God that we have the weekend and don't have to go to the academy until Monday. That will give us time to regroup and plan what to do next."

"Yep. I'll help you clean up once we finish eating and then you and I can start going over the files that Caroline brought from the local precinct while we give those two more time to recuperate and wake up."

We finished eating and cleaned the apartment in less time that I thought that we would. Then we got the files and organized them by date and region and then started to go through them. Looking for any connections to the crimes we were dealing with. As we are looking at the flies I came up with one that happened about 2 years ago. It was a bride and groom that were killed before they even got to walk down the aisle. Same situation both were killed with a single shot to the heart with no trace, no evidence.

"Damon, look." I give him the files and we compare his notes from the cases we have to the ones taken from this one. He carefully examines the pictures of the victims and makes notes on his pad while I finish up the files that were left.

He sighs and says "It seems to be a match. But it still doesn't help us catch the killer. It just keeps making his number go up, I think we can now consider him a serial killer, that targets weddings." He rubs his temples as if to ware of a headache and I automatically place my hand on his arm.

"Don't worry, we will get that bastard and we will lock him up where he can't harm anyone anymore. Ok? Now let's call Bonnie and let her know what we've got." I told him as I passed him his cell phone so he could make the call.

Bonnie said that he would be in the apartment in a couple of hours, which gave us time to wake Stefan and Caroline, who had apparently crashed in my apartment. Caroline on the couch and Stefan on the bed, I don't really wanna know. After about ten minutes of almost pounding the door, it was opened by a grumpy Caroline that got worse when we told her about Bonnie being on her way. After she and Stefan had taken showers and had gotten some coffee into their systems, we talked about what we had heard but nothing seemed to jump out as being relevant to the cases.

About ten minutes after our discussion had ended, Bonnie appeared in our apartment. We told her all of the information we had and she confirmed that she was on board about the bride and groom killing more than likely being done by the same perp.

"It's time for the next phase. Gilbert, you will make all of the girls in the group, including Caroline, bridesmaids. Yes I want your sister involved because it will look more real since all of this information was made available to them in your school profile. Call them right now and get started at "planning" your wedding. We want to see what memories are stirred up once the preparations get underway. In the meantime Salvatore call all the boys and tell them that they are your groomsmen. Since you are here little Salvatore, you'll be the best men. I will make a couple of calls and will regroup once this is done." she ordered and reluctantly Damon and I made our calls.

After every call was made and thank you's had been delivered Bonnie came in and told us what the plan was. "Everything is done and set. In about two weeks you two will be husband and wife."

"WHAT?!" Everyone in the room yelled and glared at her with a mixture of shock, disbelief and anger. Apparently that is the only thing that comes to our mouths every time Bonnie has opened her mouth in the last month!

"I am not done. I called some friends and pulled some strings. We are going to do a fake wedding. All the preparations will be done with the accommodation of agents in mind. The guests at your party will be detectives from both the local precinct and our own men. I will get a fake judge and/or priest to proceed the ceremony and we will be on the lookout. Judging by the information, our killer will strike again at your wedding and this is why we are making this event happen. We will catch that bastard and the wedding will be cut short. No questions, good. Then I'll see you in two weeks at the wedding. I'll keep in touch by phone to talk about the details and keep me posted." And as she did the last time, she left, leaving us in shock and unable to gather our thoughts in time to protest about the plan.


	12. The beginning of a big day

Here is the second one for today! Hope you like it! OA.

 **CHAPTER 11: The beginning of a big day.**

 **Disclaimer: I do Not own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

 **CPOP**

The last two weeks went by as a blur. I spent all of my days either at classes or planning the wedding and went straight to bed at night. Caroline was working in collecting evidence from the crime files and ran background checks of any suspicious people we came in contact with. Damon and I hadn't actually seen each other outside the classroom environment since the morning Bonnie told us what to do.

As I opened my eyes I take in the beautiful pale lilac and rose pink colors of the walls and ceiling. Caroline and the girls had insisted on moving me to a sweet little hotel. It was the same hotel the wedding was taking place. We had reserved the fountain garden for the actual ceremony and the ballroom for the reception. I kept telling Caroline that this wasn't real, that it was just another case but she had told me to humor her.

I was complaining to Stefan one day and he just gave me a somber look. When I asked what was wrong he said "Lena, let Caroline do this. She knows Jeremy is so afraid that you are going to end up alone in the world so she wants to make this make believe wedding as best as possible to see if you get animated and want one for real. Also, I think that she wants to do this because you can't actually say no and cancel the whole event and she probably thinks she will never get to this for you for real. The fantasy of this being real for her is priceless. To get to see you walk down the aisle and see you as a bride getting married to a handsome prince, it's what your mom and dad would have wanted and she wants to believe for this short day, that the fantasy is real and that you will be happy. Please understand her and don't give her a hard time about this." After hearing this I felt so bad for making my friends suffer in that way that I became the indulgent friend and left her do what she wished. It turned out that the simple wedding became more elaborate than what it had to be for an undercover case.

As I was coming out of the shower after breakfast, I heard a soft knock and saw Caroline's head pop into my room. "You can come in. I'm up and ready to start." I told her as I moved to my dresser to get my things ready, mainly the dress. When I started planning this wedding I just wanted to grab anything and get it over with, but as time went by and more and more things were being done, I really enjoyed the process. Besides having Caroline, not to mention the other girls, to help me pick things out had two major advantages. First decisions were made faster and more efficiently since "two heads are better than one" and second, they actually forced me to use things that I really wanted and really liked. So in the end I had planned my dream wedding. Everything was what I had dreamed of, even the groom. Too bad all of this was not real. I mentally shook my head to clear these thoughts and promised myself that I would enjoy today as if it were true, as I hear Caroline talking with the other girls that had come into the room.

"You nervous Lena?" Anna asked her as they finished getting ready.

"Not really. I thought I might be but I feel extremely calm in this situation." I couldn't help but glance at Caroline who gave me a knowing nod. Conversation was light and trivial as the makeup and hair people finished their magic on me. Once they were done the girls helped me with the dress, shoes and veil.

As I am examining the work, Pearl came up to me and said: "Recap do you have something borrowed?" "Yes, I have Caroline's earrings."

"Something new?" "More than enough. The veil, the dress, the shoes, everything that is underneath."

"Something blue?" "Yes." I blushed at this one and the girls all laughed knowing that my blue item was my garter.

"Something old?" As I was to tell that it was the plain necklace I was wearing, we hear a knock on the door. Just then Jeremy walks in. The girls all take their bouquets and tell me that they will wait downstairs.

"You look beautiful!" My brother said as he softly caressed my cheek and pulled me into a hug.

"Thanks Jer! You look pretty handsome yourself!" He chuckles at my comment and moves on to look at my necklace. As I was about to ask him what was wrong, he got a faded white box from his suit jacket. I gave him a confused look and he just smiled.

"Here. Open it. It was mom's. I found it when I was cleaning the lake house this last summer. It had a card on it. Apparently, it is a tradition that has been done in her side of the family for many years. All of the women wear it on their wedding day. Apparently it is supposed to bring luck and happiness to your marriage." He tells me as he places the box in my hand. As I open it I see a very delicate yellow and pink gold thin chain that had a single little rose hanging from it and inside the rose there is a small and very delicate diamond. It is the most enchanting piece of jewelry I have seen in my life!

"Oh my God. Jer this is beautiful! Why hadn't I known about this before?" I asked him, taking off the necklace that I had on.

As he was putting the necklace in place he just said "the letter said that is part of the magic. The women don't know of it until the day they are to get married and then they have to save it until the next women from their family gets married." He smiles as he hands me my bouquet. "Ready?" As I take one last look at my reflection in the mirror and am satisfied with the product I reply "Ready."

 **DPOV**

I hadn't seen her in forever. I know that the groom is not supposed to see the bride before the wedding and they usually separate in the evening the night before but we have hardly seen each other in two weeks. And if we did, it was in class where we couldn't actually talk or interact without being concentrated in anything other than getting information for the case.

Well, I'm sure that I will see her for certain in a couple of minutes. I had been nervous since the night before. Stefan years worth of making fun of me but kept his mouth shut once I made him realize that this was him a couple of years when he proposed to Caroline. Then I took payback in torturing him with the possibility that he could go down in the books as being the best men that forgot the rings. The poor guy checked his pocket every 30 seconds to see if he had the rings on him. I had had the task to go and fetch the rings, so they match Elena's engagement ring.

As more and more guests, aka detectives, came to fill the chairs my nerves kept escalating. God, how I wish this were real! Stop it Salvatore, you promised yourself you would enjoy this and believe that it is real.

Just then the music starts to play and everyone turns around to look at the end of the aisle. The girls come in and take their places. Elena made a great choice with those short lapis color dresses. As the music changes to the wedding march I look up the aisle. As the doors open again, my world completely stops.


	13. The not so real, but real, fantasy Part1

And because of my absence yesterday here is a third chapter for today! OA

 **CHAPTER 12: The not so real, but real, fantasy. Part 1.**

 **Disclaimer: I do Not own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

 **DPOV**

She looks amazing. I think that I might have died and gone to heaven because she looks more beautiful than I ever thought possible. And just when I thought that I couldn't fall more in love with her she looks up and offers me a shy smile while a small blush adorns her cheeks, and there goes my theory. As she is escorted down the aisle I can't help but imagine what might my life would look like being her husband. She owns my heart and she will forever do, no matter what happens and I have promised myself since the first time I laid eyes on her in that road (even if I hadn't known it in that particular moment) that I would protect her, giving my own life if that is what it took to keep her alive. And in that moment, as she is getting closer and closer to me I vow that until the last breath escapes my lips, my sole purpose in life is to keep her safe and to make her happy no matter what the cost is to me.

As she finally reaches my side after what it seems like eternally long minutes, the "fake" minister begins the ceremony. The elderly men with the kind eyes gave us a smile and addressed our guest...

 **EPOV**

"Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony..." the minister started to say as Damon took hold of my hand.

Just then Damon leaned in and whispered to my ears "You look stunning if it isn't obvious" I know that I must have blushed but I just lived in the moment.

I grinned at him and he smiled back giving me a small hand squeeze. I felt like I was in high school again and I was going to prom with my first love. No scratch that I don't know how to describe how I felt. It was a complete happiness that I had never known before. The only thing that would have made the day be completely perfect was if my mom and dad had been physically here. I didn't believe in any of those thing but in a way they might be here in spirit, well at least I felt my mom near to me because of the necklace.

I mentally told myself to pay attention to the minister and what was happening. It was then when I heard a part of his ceremony that really touched my heart since it was so true for our relationship.

" _This relationship stands for love, loyalty, honesty and trust, but most of all for_ _ **friendship**_ _. Before they knew_ _ **love**_ _, they were friends, and it was from this seed of friendship that is their_ _ **destiny**_ _. Do not think that you can direct the course of love – for love, if it finds you_ _ **worthy**_ _, shall direct you."_

As he finished this he moved to the vows. He looked at Damon and asked him:

" _Do you Damon take Elena to be your wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy, for as long as you both shall live?"_

"I do." He answered. During all this time our eyes were locked with each others.

The minister then turned to me and told me to do the same as Damon had done a couple of seconds ago.

" _Do you Elena take Damon to be your husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy, for as long as you both shall live?"_

"I do."

Then came the rings I had this electrifying feeling, a happy feeling when I saw Stefan dig into his jacket and produce the rings as a smile of triumph crossed his face. Apparently he was more nervous of forgetting them than I was because I was getting married. Married! Even if it was fake. My mind came back as I heard the minister talk to Damon as he gave him the ring.

"With this ring, I thee wed." His eyes never left mine as he slid the delicate band in my finger. I can't really wipe the smile from my face as I feel the band go into place. Perfect fit!

I turn to the minister as he addresses me and reach for the ring. I turn and face the smiling man in front of me, place the band on his finger as I say "With this ring, I thee wed."

We stayed in the same position, holding hands and keeping our eyes locked as the elderly minister finished the event.

" _You have pronounced yourselves husband and wife but remember to always be each other's best friend."_

" _And so, by the power vested in me by the State of New York, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride."_

And with those words, applause broke in the fountain garden as our lips met our souls gave a silent vow to cherish what had just been said until the end of our days, even if it was just as friends.

After the ceremony had finished, we had a small meeting with the lieutenant of the local precinct and Bonnie. The event had gone out without a hitch and no unusual things had happened. Bonnie told us to keep doing everything as normally as possible to see if the perp would act and if they didn't it was because they probably knew that since they had been in the force they had cop friends at the wedding.

So we had the mandatory wedding photo extravaganza. Caroline had decided that she was going to have fun with this, since she had always loved cameras and it would be a good thing to show friends and family. One of the perks of being a detective, you get to play princess for a day. Honestly Caroline has a great ability of getting what she wants. She could sell ice to a freaking esquimal.

Then we went into the reception. To my surprise Damon had decided to talk to the DJ and ask for the song we danced to at Miss Mystic Falls. That would be our song, the first song we would dance to as husband and wife. The song that always made everything else disappear and just made me melt into his arms. Thank God he was strong and could help me standing up because every time I looked into his eyes my knees felt weak and I got lightheaded. God, what this man can do to me with just a simple innocent look.

I danced with Jeremy while Damon danced with Bonnie. I danced with Stefan while Damon danced with Caroline. And through the dances I never felt safe, comfortable or happy unless I was in Damon's arms. He was the only one I wanted to dance with and the only one that could make me feel like a princess. I hated the way I felt so incomplete when I left his arms, even for a second.


	14. The not so real, but real, rt2

Hey guys sorry for the delay! My computer died and I couldn't locate my backup copy of the story so I had to re-write a couple of things and I had writer's block of the changes I had made so I am just a little frustrated with it right now, especially because it happened after I promised to update every day if possible. I am extremely sorry for that and thankful to you guys for sticking with me and reading my story. Leave a review or DM me with any suggestions or comments that you have. They are the ones that give me an idea as to what to change and what things you guys like or dislike about the story. All my love, OA.

 **CHAPTER 13: The not so real, but real, fantasy. Part 2.**

 **Disclaimer: I do Not own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

 **EPOV**

The toasts were heavenly. Stefan and Caroline really outdid themselves. As we were done with our dinners, we decided to feed people since it had been a long day, Stefan took the glass and gently tapped it to get everybody's attention. As we all looked at him he cleared his throat, and we could see that he was nervous but he soldiered on.

"Um, Hi. Most of you don't know me but I'm Stefan, Damon's little brother, roommate and now best man. I grew up with this guy and I have seen him in good and pretty bad times. I am honored to be able to call him more than a brother, but my best friend. I we lost all that we wanted and I saw him just lived because he had to, not having anything to fight for. "

"But that all changed because of this beautiful, yet sometimes irritating, women. I saw how his life started to have meaning again, how he felt alive again, how he looked forward to a new day. And for making him smile again and feel again I will be eternally grateful Elena. I have seen him become a total romantic. I remember one time when he was talking about her and he said that if she asked him for a star he would bring her an entire galaxy because she was worth that and so much more. I have seen how she sees the best of him and understands the rest, I have seen her stick with him in good times but especially in the bad, I have seen her put him before even herself, but most of all I have seen her give him her heart and accept his."

"Marriage is not about finding a person you can live with, it's about finding the person you can't live without. And I honestly believe that Elena and Damon have found what most of us go our entire lives looking for, true love. The one that makes you whole, makes you better but most of all makes you incredibly happy. My friends, I am honored to have been able to witness your story come full circle, to see how out of such a dark place came the most beautiful of lights, love. Here's to a lifetime of happiness and love for Elena and Damon!" I honestly wiped a tear away, still not believing that Stefan had said all of that and grateful for hearing those words coming from him especially after our own history. As he was going to walk past us I gave him a peck on the cheek and pulled him for a hug, which he reciprocated, and I whispered a thank you as he whispered a congratulations. He then moved to give Damon a half handshake half hug embrace.

Just as I was sitting down I hear Caroline addressing the crowd. "Hi. Wow. I don't really know how I'm going to follow that amazing speech but here goes nothing. For those of you that don't know me, I'm Caroline, Lena's sister, well not by blood but by choice." She looked over at me and winked, making me giggle at her choice of words.

"As children, Lena and I were pretty much inseparable, and we always managed to keep each other laughing. When I think back on our adventures in childhood, I have nothing but fond memories. I don't think I have ever told her this, but I have always looked up at her. She was the girl that I imitated as a child and the one I took clothes from without permission and she never said anything. She has always been the kind of women that I have strived to be, strong, beautiful, independent but sweet and down to earth."

"We have gone through some bad times, and with pain in my heart I saw how my sister became a stronger woman. But I am glad to say that I also have seen how this man has learned to get into all the corners of her heart, so thank you Damon for making this happens, for bringing back that carefree and trusting woman my sister was and had hidden for so long back."

"For the two of you, a small piece of advice would be that whenever you are wrong, admit it. Whenever you are right, be quiet. And, Damon, always remember...a happy wife, makes for a happy life! Please raise your glasses while I toast my sister and her husband: May your love be like the air, strong enough to move the clouds, soft enough to never hurt, but never ending. So here's to love, laughter, and happily ever after. Cheers." I stood up and hugged my sister and let her wipe away my tears as she came out of my embrace. She then turned to the guests and yelled out "Now, let's cut the cake!"

So Damon and I cut the cake, the garter came of and the bouquet was tossed, which my dear Caroline was more than happy to catch. I was laughing as I excused myself with her to go change. We had planned that if no attack was made at the end of the wedding, Damon and I would make it look as if we left for our honeymoon, which did not exists, and let the rest of the detectives keep checking if the perp was going to make an appearance tonight. So as Caroline and I are joking around as I finish changing, we hear a light knock on the door and Bonnie asked permission to come in. I was finishing putting both the engagement and wedding band on my necklace because I didn't want to lose or damage them if we had to run after the perp, besides people would be so focused on what I was wearing, I doubt anyone would notice that I didn't had my rings on.

As she is walking in we are carefully looking at her face, trying to read her expression. Caroline and I automatically grab our guns as we are expecting her to tell us one of three possibilities; they have a suspect and potential perp viewed, the perp had struck again or they got the perp in time. But nothing could have prepared me for what came next.

Bonnie had this almost remorseful and shy look on her face, something that I had never seen in my boss. She then opened her mouth and then is when it all went crazy.


	15. Coming Clean

Here is a second chapter for today. I hope that you all like it and that I have made justice to what you guys wished would happen in the story. All my love, OA.

 **CHAPTER 14: Coming Clean.**

 **Disclaimer: I do Not own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

 **EPOV**

"You can lower your guns, we have no new info on the perp, we are still looking. Um, Caroline do you think I can have a minute alone with Lena?" Caroline exchanged a confused look with me but I was as confused as she was. So I just nodded my head and she silently slipped from the room.

"Bonnie, what's going on? You look as if you are going to regret what you are going to tell me, which is really freaking me out right now." First of all never had I seen Bonnie look like this, which was what had me jumping of my skin. Second, what was so important and private that she had my best friend, who is also a cop, go out of the room. Thirdly, it had to be something serious involving me since Bonnie tended to call me by my last name, rarely using my nickname.

"Um, I don't really know how to tell you this Elena, so I'm just gonna go in and say it... You know that I had told you that we wanted to prepare and go forward with all this charade so we could get the perp?"

"Yeah, you also told me that we would stop at any point the perp was caught but we never factored in if the perp did not strike." I answered as I took a seat on the bed and watched my boss pace like a mad person in front of me. "Bonnie, relax. What could be so bad that you are this anxious to tell me?"

"Um, so I kinda had a little problem and had to resort to extreme measures."

"Ok. Just spit it out Bonnie, stalling is just making both of us go insane!" I answered as I started to get frustrated with her.

"Well the friend that I had called to be the minister on the ceremony had a family emergency and had to cancel..." she stopped and scratched her head while studying the floor.

"Ok, and..." I encourage her to go on as I am starting to feel nervous about what she is going to say after that.

"So I had to call the minister that you had on the ceremony. Who is not a friend..."

"And this means what Bonnie?!" I am starting to feel as if I have no air to breath and I'm drowning.

"Lena, he is a real minister and he doesn't know about our operations. I couldn't tell him, its protocol!" She looked at me with pleading eyes as I processed the words she was saying. And then it hit me!

"Wait are you telling me that he is a real minister, that the wedding was not fake?!" I jumped out of the bed and got all in her personal space as I was furious with what she had just told me.

"Lena, calm down. I know that it sounds bad but I already checked with some lawyer friends and they told me that they can have a annulment for you guys in about 3 to 6 months."

"3 to 6 months?! Are you kidding me Bonnie! You just told me that I am married to Damon for real. That we really are husband and wife and that it will take up to 6 months to get it annulled and you want me to be calm?! Oh and add to that that the perp is still out there and the case is nowhere to be closed?! Oh, yes Bonnie, I am extremely calm! Oh and I really hope that these "friends" of yours are really good to their word and don't end up having "family problems" and get me into more trouble!" I was the one pacing now as I tried to calm myself down! Bonnie just stood there and looked down! Oh, I wanted to choke her so bad right now! "I'm going out to get some air! Oh, and good luck telling Damon, I really hope that he doesn't kill you!" And with that I stormed out of the room, down to the lobby and into the back rose garden of the hotel.

 **DPOV**

I was talking to some of the guests and mingling here and there as I waited for my wife to come back. My wife, never thought I would use that term to refer to Elena but I was using it now and even though it wasn't real I was going to use it for all the time that I could. As I was finishing talking to Elena's brother, who by the way is a great guy and very understanding, I saw Bonnie coming towards me and I excused myself as I knew that she wanted to talk to me. The thing that concerned me was the look on her face. Bonnie had this almost remorseful and shy look on her face and her heart rate was faster than the speed of light. I tried to remember if I had ever seen her wear this expression before but came up blank.

She motioned for me to follow her and lead me to the balcony. It was empty and Bonnie went to the opposite edge. The one that was far away that we had privacy but still within eye range of the guests. I looked at her with a confused expression.

"Did we get the perp?" It was the first thing that I said since I wanted to know what she was trying to tell me and I just wanted to break the uncomfortable silence.

"No, we still have an eye out for him. Um, I just talked to Lena about this and know I'm talking to you." She stopped looking at an invisible point in the night sky, avoiding my gaze completely.

So I just shrugged my shoulders and urge her to go on. "Ok Bonnie. What's up?"

"Ok, here goes nothing" she murmured more to herself but I could hear her clear as day and the fact that her heart rate went up even more than I thought it was possible wasn't reassuring. Honestly I was starting to think that she was going to have a heart attack! "Ok so the friend I asked to be here today couldn't come so I had to call a real one and couldn't tell him about our operations because of the protocol. But I am already in the talks to get this resolved." She let it all out in a rush. Honestly I just didn't get what she was trying to tell me.

"Bonnie what are you talking about? You know you really don't make any sense right now?" I honestly was starting to get a headache from trying to understand what she was trying to tell me.

"I'm talking about the minister Damon. But don't worry this will be resolved in about three to six months although that falls on you since you are the one that has to fill and give in the paper work for it." She was very serious and you could hear determination in her voice, but my mind was still in shock. I was really married to Elena?! Did I hear that or is my desire that that be a reality clouding my understanding abilities?

"Wait..." I interrupt what she was saying in that moment "you are telling me that Elena and I are in reality, not assignment wise, husband and wife, as in legally married?"

"Yes, I am sorry for the confusion, we can talk about the details later. I'll give you the number of …."

"I have to go talk to Elena. Where is she?" I cut her off and she just looks defeated and tells me that Elena told her that she had to go grab some air and that she saw her walking towards the rose garden. I thank him and try to go that way as fast as I can but I am detained here and there by some guest making what should have been a fast track a labyrinth of people that I needed to overcome in order for me to talk to Elena.


	16. The encounter

Okay I have a third chapter for today. I think I might have a short epilogue after this... Please let me know what you think. All my love, OA.

 **CHAPTER 15: The encounter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do Not own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

 **EPOV**

OMG! I wanted to be married to Damon but not this way, what am I going to do? How was he going to take it? How is our friendship going to be affected by this. I'm MARRIED! And to none other than Damon! Ok, Lena relax, you need to focus on the case now. How the hell am I going to focus in the case if after this I have to go inside and pretend that I am leaving for my honeymoon!

As I have this storm of thoughts in my brain, I fiddle with my necklace. The necklace that contains the most important jewelry pieces I have, my mom's rose pendant and my engagement ring and wedding band. I should actually put those back on though... It is then that I hear the footsteps. Oh, no! I cannot handle talking to Damon or Caroline or anyone for that matter.

I turn around to send off whoever is there to talk to me and try to calm me down and I'm surprised to see Jenna standing there. She looks kinda pale and has a strange look in her eye.

"Jenna, you scared me! What's wrong? Did someone do something to you?" I ask her moving closer to her and as I am going to put my hand on her arm she moves back. I drop my hand as now I am really concerned with what is going through her head. Did she see the perp kill someone or did she find a body? Oh, God who's dead? I start to get anxious and then is when she looked at me.

"How does it feel? To have the perfect wedding? You know the whole dress and venue of your dreams with friends and family surrounding you? The perfect man?"

"Jenna, don't torment yourself! I know it's hard but I think that he would have wanted you to move on, to be happy. I didn't know him but knowing you he must have been a really good guy so I think that it is ok for me to say that he would have wanted you to find happily ever after, that perfect husband that would give you the world and the wedding of your dreams." I try to calm her as I see the tears forming in her eyes. I imagine that this has to be so hard for her, knowing what she went through, anyone would be sad in a wedding.

"I am going to get the perfect wedding. I have been planning it for some while. I already have the perfect blue garter, some borrowed pearl earrings, the perfect dress for my bridesmaid as well as for myself, the new shoes, I am just missing the something old, just like your engagement ring." She said as her eyes moved to my hands, which I had behind my back since I was leaning on one of the gazebo columns for support.

"Wait, what do you mean like my engagement ring? I thought Damon had bought this ring?" Ok, now I'm confused.

"I heard Alaric say that for him the proposal was more special because Damon didn't buy the ring, he had had it for some time, someone gave it to him or something. In other words its old, just the final piece you needed to be the perfect bride, something old."

"I didn't know that. I have to ask Damon when I have the chance then." I said that even if I know that he bought the ring in the place Bonnie told him to.

"I'm sorry Lena but I really wanna see that ring again. Can I see it please?" She started to move to me and I just stayed put.

"Jenna, I don't mean to be rude but I really need some time alone to catch my breath before I go in and have to say my goodbyes and then leave for my honeymoon." I tell her as I turn my back on her and start to walk out of the gazebo. Just then I feel her grab my by the arm and turn me around. Then is when it all clicks. She wants my rings and she isn't as innocent as I thought at first. I am her target tonight. And the fact that the reception was filled with cops, since supposedly Damon and I are ex-cops, doesn't make her less determine to get what she wants.

We start fighting, me just trying to restrain her and her trying to grab the rings that she hasn't noticed are not in my hand. Just as I have the upper hand my heel gets stuck in a crack on the floor and she uses this moment to throw me against the cement column. I get momentarily dazed and fall to the floor. As I am lying there I see her grab a gun that she had and point it at me. This is when I understood the real connection of her crimes.

"You didn't kill the other girls because you were mad that they were getting married or had to do with anything of the wedding, you were just collecting the things for your wedding, something blue, the grater; something borrowed, the borrowed pearl earrings, the perfect dress, the perfect bridesmaid dress and you already got the something new, some shoes, and you are now going to get the something old, my engagement ring.

"You catch on to things very quick. Very clever, too bad for the force that you decided to quit to go with your guy. Too bad you won't have time to go back and tell your cop friends what I did. But just know this, you are dying for a good cause. After I get your rings I don't need anything else for my wedding. Oh and since we are apparently in a forced truth zone and you won't be able to talk anymore, I also killed him and the wife too. Him for not choosing me and not loving me, her for stealing him from me! So, any last words before I send you to an early honeymoon in heaven?" She said as she took the safety off the gun and put her finger on the trigger.

"Yes, I never quit being a cop, still am, always will be." With that I pull my gun from my thigh, where I had it hidden, and pull the trigger. Bad part is that she pulled hers at the same time.

The burning pain of the bullet slicing through my skin was horrible. Damn it, not again! Note to self don't go to any more weddings when working a case, what the hell I'm pretty sure this time there is no next time.

As I keep feeling my heart slowing down, my breathing becoming more labored and the darkness becoming more and more inviting I can't help thinking of Damon. Movies show that when you are dying you have a montage of memories, and I think that that is strangely accurate. I remembered the first time we met, well officially anyways, the night he figured out Katherine wasn't in the tomb, us dancing that perfect song at Miss Mystic Falls, the words made me forget he said to me when he came back to deliver my necklace, the kiss in that motel in Denver, and all of the good memories I had with him. I relived the proposal and the wedding. I can't help but smile as I remember his face as I walked down the aisle, the way he looked at me when we were saying I do, the way we fit perfectly with each other as we had our first dance. I silently give thanks to the universe for having me have the perfect last day, by letting me see my friends happy to see me married, to have the perfect wedding but specially for being able to call myself Damon's wife and to call Damon my husband for at least some hours and not be just a charade.

At this point I feel no pain since my body has gone completely numb to any type of pain. I then muster the little strength that I have and take my necklace off and secure it in my hand, being careful to cradle the two rings and rose in my hand. The pieces of jewelry that mean the world to me, the pieces of jewelry that make me feel close to the two people I love the most in this world. And with a sigh and a small smile on my face due to the wonderful memories that are flowing in my head I fell darkness and oblivion completely engulf me. Forever.


	17. Aftermath

Here is another chapter. Please don't hate me for these couple of chapters I have posted. Let me know what you guys think of the chapter. All my love, OA.

 **CHAPTER 16: Aftermath.**

 **Disclaimer: I do Not own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

 **DPOV**

My heart stops when I hear the gunshots coming from the garden. No! I cannot lose her! Not when I have her so close! I try to concentrate on her heartbeat but it so hard with all the noise from the reception. I make my legs run faster than I think I could run but I still can't hear her heartbeat. As I keep getting close I can smell blood, a lot of blood. Oh no. oh no. oh no! Please God, don't let it be her, please don't take her from me! You know I cannot live without her!

As I get near I see the gazebo and my eyes only focus on her. Her crumpled body lying motionless on the floor, the blood that is still coming from her wound, a single gunshot to the chest. Damn it! Why has her heart stopped! I just drop myself on my knees and rip my jacket and tie it to her chest to try to stop more blood from oozing out as I just start CPR on her.

"Elena, don't you dare leave me! Not now! Not ever! Don't forget our vows so quickly! Don't take the 'till death do us part" so seriously! Damn it Elena don't give up! Come back to me! I love you, I have loved you since I saw you that first time in the road! You are my live! God don't take her away from me!" At this point I am screaming, yelling and frantically trying to make her heart beat on its own. I know that I am crying but I don't care, I don't really care if the world starts burning around me I can only concentrate on how the love of my life is lifeless under my hands.

Then I feel a hand on my shoulder and my senses start to come back to the reality of the situation. I know could hear that everyone was around the gazebo. Apparently the gunshots were heard in the reception and they had come out to see what was going on. The police had just declared the other body dead. It was then I realized that Elena had killed the perp but that was the least of my worries right now.

I can clearly hear Caroline almost yelling and Jeremy and the other academy girls are crying silently. They all gave up on her, damn it why? I won't give up on her, no matter what!

"Damon, Damon she's gone! Come on buddy, let her go." I hear Alaric trying to take me away from her. "No, she is not! She is not gone! She can't leave me!" I growl back as I keep working on Elena. Just then I hear a faint sound that was the most beautiful sound I have heard in my entire life! Her heart had started to beat, faintly but it was there! She came back to me! At the same moment I can hear the faint sound of the ambulance as it is approaching. Without thinking it twice I bent down and grabbed Elena, cradling her to my chest. It is unfortunately early similar to the time with Klaus, but this time I am not relying on magic to bring her back to me! As I do this the people at the wedding automatically part, forming a path for me. I don't think twice about using my speed to make my way to the other side of the hotel where the ambulance is just arriving as I launch myself in and tell the paramedics what has happened.

 **EPOV**

Ugh, why is my head spinning so much! And why does every fiber in my body ache! What is that beeping sound?

I slowly start to open my eyes and let them take their time adjusting to their surrounding. Ok, so white ceiling, different bed, beeping. Yeah, definitely not my room. I try to sit but a searing pain radiates through my body. Then I register, pain, beeping, white all over, I'm at the hospital. As I look to my left, I can't help but smile.

There in a very uncomfortable position on a seat is Damon. He has fallen asleep and he looks as if he hasn't have a good night's sleep in a while. He has dark bags under his eyes and his body is very tense. I just wonder how much time has he been here.

Just then I notice that he has the wedding ring on his hand. I would have imagined that he would have taken it off after the wedding. Then I look down on my own hand to find that I have my rings on my finger. Hum? Had I not taken them off and had them on my necklace. I the move my hand slowly as to not have more than the necessary pain to my neck and confirm that my mom's necklace is fastened around it.

Just then I hear Damon shift in his seat. I look at him and see how he opened his beautiful blue eyes and look at me and then smile as he closed his eyes to sleep again. I can't help but grin at his action when his eyes snap back open and he quickly sits up. I start laughing a little bit, not much that it would hurt a lot, but just enough that shows how amused I am at his actions and arched one of my eyebrows questionably at him.

His face reflects so much joy, shock and confusion that I think that all of his emotions have rendered him incapable of speech.

 **DPOV**

I lean forward and take her hand gently in both of my hands and whisper, "You're finally awake." I can see her eyes filled with unshed tears and I can't help but want to wipe all her pain and frustrations away.

"Yeah. I am. Damon, what happened?" She asked me as if there is some piece of the puzzle wasn't quite fitting in its place.

I sigh. "Elena what is the last thing you remember?" I wonder what she is thinking since a slight blush starts to adorn her pale cheek.

"Um, I remember thinking of the irony of weddings and me ending hurt, almost dead. I remember thinking that I was not making it that time. I remember fighting to maintain my grasp on life and then feeling calm as I was going under the darkness because I came to terms that it was my time to go. But that is about it. What happened? How is it that I am alive if I felt my life slip away from my grasp?"

I gave her hand a small squeeze to try to comfort her. "You did go, several times in fact." I evaded her eyes, but by the way she gave my hand a little squeeze I knew that she had seen the pain in my eyes and the heard the effort I had made to try to sound casual.

"What do you mean by 'went several times'?" She asked and her heart rate went up by a small fraction.

"Calm down Elena. The important thing is that you are here now and that you get well." I tell her hoping that she forgets what she has asked me and doesn't press the issue any further. But being Elena I knew that that was not going to happen.

"Damon, you didn't answer my question." She was determined to get the information that he wanted.

I let go of her hand as I walk to the window as I cannot bear the thought of her seeing the pain in my face as I tell her "You were gone when I got to you at the gazebo, and then you went again in the ride here and then once more during surgery to remove the bullet. You have been in a coma for two weeks." I hated the fact that I was relieving the awful event of seeing her dead and trying to bring her back to me.

I hear her sigh and shift so I look back at her and she is looking at me straight into my soul and extends her hand to me. And for the first time since that awful night I let myself go. I grab her hand and bring it to my lips and as I press it to my cheek I let the tears flow freely.

I feel her take her other hand and sweetly stroke my hair, giving me all her comfort in that simple action. "Hey, I'm here and I'm alive. Forget the past. Its ok. Hey, look at me please?"

I don't even try to wipe away my tears as I look at her with pleading eyes "I am so, so sorry Elena. I should have been more careful in looking out for you. I should have been with you, I shouldn't have let you out of my sight. If I had only been there you wouldn't be here right now." My voice kept breaking as I talked so by the end I don't think that she could hear me very clearly.

"Hey there was nothing that no one could have done differently. Things happen for a reason and we just need to learn to accept them and keep moving forward. You are not to blame for this. Promise me that you will not dwell on this and will move forward, no matter what happens. Will you do it, for me?" She said as her free hand stroke my cheeks wiping away the traces of tears that where there. Her eyes were pleading but they had something more that I just couldn't completely figure out.

I take in a shaky breath and compose myself I give her hand another kiss and release it. "For you Elena, anything. I promise."


	18. Recovery

HAHAHA I scared you all with killing of Elena? But how could I when I love her character but I wanted to do something dramatic, something that I had never done before and I thought this would be darker and appropriate since Halloween is this weekend. So onward with the last few chapters of the story. Review, review, review please! This gives me an idea as to what you guys like and what I should do with my story. Also thanks to those of you that give me ideas for the story. I might not use them on this one but I am taking notes to use on future fics that I am planning to do. All my love, OA.

 **CHAPTER 17: Recovering mentally, physically and emotionally.**

 **Disclaimer: I do Not own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

 **EPOV**

Just as I am about to reply there is a light knock on the door and I see and unfamiliar face peak in. "Hello Mr. Salvatore" the woman said as she shook Damon's hand. From where do they know each other?

"Oh, you are awake. This is very good. I am Doctor Meredith Fell. I have been treating you since you got to the hospital a couple of weeks ago Mrs. Salvatore. Now I just want to ask you some questions. Ok lets start..."

I know that Damon heard my heart sped up when I was called Mrs. Salvatore! OMG, I am Mrs. Salvatore! I force myself to pay attention to the doctor and to answer all her questions as best as I could. I really hate hospitals, can't wait to get out of here!

 **DPOV**

I am glad that my back is towards Elena and that she is focused on responding to the doctor's questions. If she hadn't been so focused she would have heard my heart rate increase by a tenfold when I heard hers increase as Dr. Fell addressed her as Mrs. Salvatore. I don't know if her reaction is because she is annoyed to be put in this situation or because she wasn't expecting to be addressed in that way.

I didn't dare look at her since it would have betrayed the fact that I loved hearing her being addressed as Mrs. Salvatore. In a way it was a confirmation that she was mine, that I am the luckiest man in this world to have this beauty as my wife, even if it is temporary. That reminds me, we need to talk about the paperwork for the annulment. As much as the idea of doing this pains me, I want Elena to be happy and if being free is her happiness I will give it to her.

Just then I hear that Dr. Fell was finishing and saying her goodbye "Ok, so everything seems to be in order Mrs. Salvatore. You should be out in about 2 weeks. We just want to keep an eye on your concussion since you were in a coma for 2 weeks, had brain swelling and retention of water. We will use the time for you to have physical therapy and your psychological evaluation to go back to work as soon as possible after you leave the hospital and have a couple of extra days in desk duty. Ok, so I will be in a little later to check on you, Mrs. Salvatore. Mr. Salvatore." He shook my hand and I walked her to the door so I could control my nerves, breathing and rambling mind before I talked to Elena.

 **EPOV**

I was watching Damon as I tried to control my damn heart. I clearly heard my head saying " _It turns out you can't control your heart. Damn thing just does what it wants."_ Get a grip Gilbert... Salvatore, God how I loved that the doctor kept referring to me as Mrs. Salvatore, as in Damon's wife! Wow, earth to Lena! Just then Damon turned around from the door and sat on the chair that was beside my bed. As I was thinking about something to say Damon started.

 **DPOV**

"I am sorry about that. It was the only way." I say nervously as I don't really know how she is going to react and also because I don't want her to see that I am lying.

"Sorry, about what exactly? Only way for what?" She had a confused look on her face and I noticed that she had no idea what I was talking about.

I sigh and start to examine her bed's sheets. "About the whole 'Mrs. Salvatore' thing. I had to say that we are married in order to be able to be able to come in here and check that they were giving you the appropriate care that you needed."

I looked at face her and see her smiling sweetly at me, and my heart melts as my nerves calm down a bit. She just shakes her head "Don't. I thank you because I know you did it in order to take care of me. And for that I will never be angry. On the contrary, I am flattered and grateful. You're a great man Damon and a great friend!"

With that she gave my hand a small squeeze. I don't know how this woman can make my heart both swell and deflate at the same time. On the one hand I was happy that she had said she was flattered and thankful and that I was a great man but on the other hand she pushed a knife through my heart when she said the word friend. Cause that was what I was to her, a friend.

I took up the courage to look at her and ask her what I really thought where the worst tasting words that have gone through my mouth. "Speaking of which, Bonnie wants us to talk about the paperwork that her friend has been grilling her about. You know the whole anullmet thing. Beside Bonnie seems sincerely mortified and guilty of what happened; the whole married and then almost dead thing."

"Oh, ok what am I supposed to do?" She looked deflated, almost sad and hurt. What could be going through her mind? As I was about to ask her there was a light tap on the door and Caroline came in.


	19. We learn something new everyday

I really love how this chapter came about and the interaction between the characters. But that is just me and I am a little biased. Let me know your opinions of the chapter. All my love, OA

 **CHAPTER 18: We learn something new everyday.**

 **Disclaimer: I do Not own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

 **EPOV**

His words had hit me in the gut worse than the bullet hit me in the chest. But the conversation was thankfully interrupted by Caroline. Her face showed that Dr. Fell had told her that I was up.

I smiled as she came to me and gave me a careful hug. I fought the urge to wince at her contact and smiled all the way so she wouldn't notice that I was still in pain. Damon got up and excused himself, giving me a small smile as he left.

"So how are you feeling partner?" Caroline asked as she took a sit on my bed, and I moved a little to give her some space.

"As if I just got shot at." I say with humor in my voice. She looked at me with a sad expression and I just shrugged. "Care, Its ok, Im fine and besides we all know that it could have been a lot worse. So, anyway what have I missed. I need details woman." I said trying to change the subject and because I really did wanna know what happened while I was under.

Caroline went into a full length explanation of her two weeks. Nothing really interesting to report there. When she is finished I asked her about work.

Caroline shrugged "Nothing much at work. I've been on desk duty since you were here and Damon refused to leave your side."

"What do you mean?" I honestly didn't remember anything and I was starting to get interested in all that has happened and that Caroline seems extremely unwilling to share.

"Well your gorgeous hubby wouldn't leave your side for one second. He literally lived here the whole time. He never left once. The fact that he said he is your husband, which is true, and that him being a doctor, was your personal physician and I'm assuming he used some of his charm to get the clearance to stay in your room the whole time." She said while studying my face. I was too shocked to say anything and she must have sensed my hesitation since she decided to continue.

"Yeah he had the other guy, biochem ..." She was clearly trying to act as if she didn't remember her fiancee's name so I decided to play along in her attempt to brighten my day and gave her a hand once I regained control of my voice.

"Stefan." She threw her hands in the air and chuckled.

"Yes Stefan, so simple yet so complicated. Well anyway, he had to come in and bring Damon some clothes and then whoever was coming to see you brought him some dinner and stayed by your side while he went take a quick shower in the ones they have for the residents. He didn't want you alone for a single second. Hell, he even slept in this super uncomfortable seat for the whole time you have been here, he refused the bed they offered him on the residents lounge downstairs." She wasn't finished but she was giving me some time to processes everything before going on with the story.

Once she knew I kinda grasped what she was saying she moved one. "You should have seen him back at the reception, when we got to you he was already there. Lena, he really looked devastated! He was crying and pleading you to come back to not leave him. Everyone pegged you as a goner and had lost hope but he kept on giving you CPR and he saved you! Lena you owe your life to Damon!" Her voiced cracked in a couple of places as the memories of that day flowed inside her head.

"Not the first time and not the only one I owe him. Speaking of now, what ever happened to Jenna?" I asked since I do not know if I hit her, is she dead or alive, is she in a grave or in a hospital bed like me or maybe even in jail.

"Don't worry about her Lena she is six feet underground." Caroline said as she gave me a small hand squeeze.

"Yeah so we can get this out of the way, she was the one that made all the murders, including the double homicide of some years back." I told Caroline as she looked at me waiting to hear why I affirmed this.

"Well she was definitely crazy, that's for sure. You remember her story?" Caroline nodded but I gave the super detailed version of the story anyway.

"Well she told us her story, of course from the point of view that wouldn't incriminate her. She said that she had this friend that she had grew up with and that she fell in love with and then on graduation he had proposed to his girlfriend and that she went away to put space between them and try to get over him but it turns out she came back and killed him and his new wife because they ruined her plans. A couple of months ago I think things just snapped for her. One of the girls she knew from the academy was getting married. So she got this twisted idea that she was going to plan her perfect wedding. So she killed people to get the perfect objects for her wedding. The somethings borrowed, old, new and blue, plus a couple of other things like the dress for herself and the bridesmaids. And that is why she killed the people that she killed and why there was always something missing." I finished my story to see her face twisted in horror and repulsion towards Jenna.

"So what the hell did she want with you? Did she figured out that you are a cop?" Caroline asked since the curiosity took the better of her.

"No, she didn't know that I was STILL a cop. She knew that the majority of the people in the reception where cops, but that didn't stop her. She wanted the something old from me." she looked at me with a puzzled expression.

"Ok, so I don't know the whole story and I have to ask him later but apparently Damon told the guys that my engagement ring was not store bought. That there is some old history to it. Therefore it is old. So Jenna heard this and decided that she wanted my engagement ring for her something old. I don't know if you remember but I had taken my rings of and had placed them on my necklace, so when we were fighting and she was trying to grab my hand she couldn't find the rings which made her angrier. Then my heal must have got caught in a crack or something and she used this moment to push me, and I hit my head against the gazebo's column, was thrown off balance and into the floor. There was when she took the gun out and I made her tell me everything. Then she just said that it was too bad that I wouldn't have the opportunity to tell my cop friends and if I had any final words and then is when I took out my gun and after that you know the rest." I finished my story as I gently caressed the necklace I had on, remembering how I had felt my mother's presence with me in that dark moment.


	20. Carefree

Happy Halloween to those of you who celebrate it! Here is another chapter of the story. I know that this is a little short but I will be uploading a second one in a couple of minutes. Let me know what you guys think of the chapter. All my love, OA.

 **CHAPTER 19: Carefree**

 **Disclaimer: I do Not own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

 **EPOV**

God, I love to be in my apartment again! Even though it has been a month since I have been back here I still don't feel completely normal. For starters I had a longer psychological evaluation and physical therapy then what I was expecting. Apparently the fact that it was on the night of my wedding made it ever so much more delicate. And the physical therapy was arduous, since they made me do exercises in the apartment after being done with the appointments.

I was glad that I had moved to an apartment of my own. But that doesn't mean that I was alone. O no sir, you would be mistaken if you thought that.

Our dear old Damon has practically moved in with me. Oh, don't get the wrong idea. Even though we are still married, he has been my bodyguard and therapist all this time. At first, he didn't let me lift a finger. He did the laundry, the cooking and the cleaning. He is still very precise on my therapies and in the fact that I can't really do very strenuous things. And don't get me started with his glares as I tried to convince Bonnie to let me do field work. He was driving me insane! Is not that I don't appreciate what he was doing for me but I had gotten so accustomed to do things on my own that I didn't really know how to depend on someone else. So about a week ago I had to almost yell at him until I convinced him to divide the house work. He still does most of the things but now I can actually do things around the apartment and actually feel productive.

During this whole time he has been sleeping on the couch. I have tried to convince him to use the guest room. His reasoning for his decision, that the couch is closer to the door and my room so he has a better position to help me if anything happens. I still think that he hasn't fully grasped the concept that Jenna is not coming back to hurt me.

"Thank God that case is over! I was about to scream if Caroline and Kol hadn't catch the freaking guy! You know how much paperwork I had to fill for that damned case? It was like every time I finished one paper there were ten more to fill and they kept multiplying! God, I cannot wait until I'm out in the field again!" I was so frustrated that I had gone directly to the fridge and grabbed a bear as Damon locked the door and walked behind me to take my coat off and put it on the closet near the door and do the same with his.

He chuckled at my frustration which earned him a glare from me and said: "All in due time Elena, besides by the way your therapies are going, you'll be released in about a week, I presume. Plus you already got the psyc release so I think that you'll be out in the field in about two weeks, since knowing Bonnie she will want to keep you on desk duty for an extra week just to be sure. Plus I don't blame her." Damon said as he moved to the kitchen to start preparing dinner.

"Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. Figures you would side with her and have me stay in the precinct doing paper work until I have to be taken into crazy tearing papers rehab." I say as I take the bowl from his hands and start making the salad while he did the chicken cordon blue.

Once we finished cooking we moved to the table to eat some dinner. I had a glass of wine, since my personal physician said that I could. We joked about the things that had happened in the day, especially Caroline ongoing war with her new temporary partner. I swear one of these days she is going to perform the perfect murder and he will be her victim. I still can't believe that they were partners before she and I had been appointed together.

After dinner we moved to wash the dishes. He washed and I dried. The way that we did things, the familiarity, it felt so right, so perfect. To someone that looked at us, I can bet they would say that we have been doing this for years but in reality we have been doing this since like a weak at max.

I must have been very out of it cause one moment of thinking of how great a team Damon and I are and the next I have water splashed on my face. I am completely shocked as I look into the amazingly handsome grin of Damon. He took my breath away. The way he was laughing like a child, with no cares in the world, in complete happiness. I took the rag I had for drying and hit him in the arm with it. As he is taking up the kitchen hose to spray me I start running away and I can't help but join in in the laughter of being carefree even if it is for just a moment.

He just drops the plate he is working on and runs around the island, neither using super speed and we are playing like two kids until I think my next move for a second too long since when I am rounding the couch he just grabs me from behind by the waist and spins me around the living room. At that point I am laughing so hard that I find it hard to breath. He then puts me down without letting go of me. We just look into each other's eyes. We were trying to get our breathing and heart rates under control but the realization of how close we are standing to each other makes them speed up even more.


	21. Reality check

Here is a second installment this Halloween day! What do you think of this one? All my love, OA.

 **CHAPTER 20: Reality check.**

 **Disclaimer: I do Not own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

 **EPOV**

I was the first to break out of the spell. "Damon, we need to talk." I said a little to breathlessly for my liking as I took his hand and lead him to the couch.

He had a sad look in his face, as if he knew what I was going to tell him would bring him emotional pain. He looked down at our intertwined hands, my right, his left. Our finger had instinctively intertwined and I was taken notice on how perfectly our hands fit together, as if they were meant to be there, they were made for each other. I left out a sight as I tried to force myself to do what I had to do, no matter how much it would hurt me, it was for the best.

"Damon, I have to ask you something?" I started out my conversation.

"Yes, Elena?" His voice had this tone that almost resembled that of a pained, tired and wise old man.

I slightly move our intertwined hand so that his is on top. "Why do you wear the wedding ring? Why haven't you taken it off?" I couldn't meet his eyes so I kept studying the silver band on his hand, the one that matched my own.

I looked at him when he exhaled. Apparently he thought my first words would be worse?

"Elena, why do you ask me that?" I could see him trying to evade the question and take a side step.

"Because I really am curious, and you still haven't answered the question." I tell him as I start playing with the band in his hand.

He chuckles. "Was worth the try. I don't really know. I never took it off after that day, and then I had to say we are married in order to be able to look over your treatment while in the hospital and then I kinda grew accustomed to having it on and now its like its not there. It feels normal and natural, it became a part of me. In other words, Elena I have it on because I want to."

I knew he was looking at me but I evaded his eyes. I then decided to dive in headfirst to the rest of my questions.

"Damon what happened to us? That whole future we had wanted, we fought for?" By this time I was so tired of holding back all of my questions that I spilled them out in one breath.

He could feel my turmoil and in what swift movement he had us lying in the couch. My head rested in his chest and he had wrapped his hands around me in a very tender and protective stance. I felt at home, safe and happy there, this was where I was meant to be.

"Life, Elena. Decisions made, words spoken. One thing lead to another and here we are today. But answer this, do you think that in the beginning we could have imagined that I would be able to get my humanity back? Get a normal human job without using compulsion? Be a medical examiner and work at your precinct of all places? That circumstances would have lead us to be married? Cause if you ask me Elena, I would have told the person that would tell me that they were completely crazy!"

He was looking into space when I looked up at him. He had absentmindedly started to caress my arm as he talked and now stopped as he looked down into my eyes.

"Yeah, I know. I have thought of that before." I say as I look over at the balcony to evade his eyes.

"How about you, why do you still wear the rings?" He asked me as he thumbed my beautiful rings.

"Well, you better than anyone know that I did take them off. Actually right after the reception, so yeah. But then when I woke up in the hospital I had them on, I'm assuming it was you?" I look at him as he nods and I continue.

"Yeah, so after that I left them on because everyone knew we are married and that was key for you to look over my care and I knew that that was very important for you. So I left them and then, well, the same reasons as you, I grew accustomed to having them on and they just feel as if they are natural to have on." I say I now play with my own rings.

After a couple of minutes in silence, which was astonishingly not uncomfortable, Damon was the first one to speak.

"Elena, why are you asking these questions? Why are they important and why now?"

"I don't know. They have been in my mind for some time but I never thought it was the right time to ask them." I paused trying to regain my line of thought and decided that he needed an explanation and I needed one too. Here goes nothing!

"I think that they came to me because I sometimes had wondered what could have been, you know? How different our lives would be if we had decided to keep fighting for us. If we had decided to go for a life together as a couple and not just friends? I think that the whole battle with Klaus was it. So in a way I came to the conclusion a while ago that even though he lost by being killed, he won in killing our love. The way we handled the abductions and the tortures and the experiments and everything we both went through ended everything. And at that moment we were weak and decided to go for the easy road and be friends. Damon," I shift as that I am now directly looking into his eyes. " I know we moved on and we made our own lives but I just wanted to thank you."

"For what Elena?" He asked me as he tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"For being my best friend. For being there for me when I need you and no one else was there. For having my back everytime. For accepting my friendship even though you know that I am broken and have issues and baggages. But especially for saving me, on multiple occasions. For not giving up on me when everyone else did on our wedding day." By now all my emotions are coming forward and I have tears of gratitude flowing freely from my eyes. As a few seconds pass I realize something. Damon is the only person in this world that has seen my weak side. I don't like people seeing it but with him my guard always falls and I can be truly me with him and for that I am extremely grateful.

He smiles down at me as he uses his thumb to wipe my tears away. "Elena, You know that I will always have your back and that I will never give up on you. Never, that I promise you. And Elena if we put all of our broken pieces and issues and baggages in a balance It would break with the large amount I have. So I really think it has to be the other way around. I should be the one thanking you for the friendship, for the hope and for the reality that I live right now. If it wasn't for you Elena Gilbert, I would either be still in denial, binge drinking on sorority girls or dead, so thank you for giving me a life." He tenderly caressed my cheek and I smiled up to him.

"I should go to bed, as should you. We have to be up bright and early cause Bonnie wants to give us our new assignments asap." We stand up and as I am starting to move towards my room, Damon gently takes my hands and spins me around. He then gives me a sweet kiss on the forehead as he whispers "Goodnight Elena."

I smile at him and head for my empty and cold bed, wishing that he would come with me, but knowing that this is an impossible dream.


	22. Game Changer

And here is a little mystery for my Halloween loving heart. Hope you all like it. Let me know some theories as to what you think might be happening and how you wish this story ends. Thanks for reading this story I love you all. OA

 **CHAPTER 21: Game Changer.**

 **Disclaimer: I do Not own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

 **EPOV**

It has been almost two months, a slow and dreadful two months. I am going crazy! For the love of God, just when I thought things couldn't get worse, life had a way of surprising me. The day after we had the heart to heart, Bonnie told Damon that he had to leave that same afternoon. Apparently they needed the best medical examiners in the country for some special case that the FBI was working on over at Los Angeles. So the government had made a team of the best 20 medical examiners in the country, and of course Damon had to be one of them. So Damon left for the apartment to pack and I snuck away during lunch to go help him. We had said our farewells as I left him at the airport. They were short and sweet. A hug. A kiss on the forehead for me and on the cheek for him and a promise to see each other soon. I then went back to the precinct.

We talked on the phone every night for the first two weeks. Then it changed. That third week I heard from him every other day. He told me that he had more and more work so he was getting to his hotel later in the night and he wasn't going to call and wake me up since I needed sleep for my work. This was because he wasn't there to protect me so I needed to be more than alert of everything around me. But then three weeks ago he told me that he had been assigned to a subgroup of the original one that were being located to an area that had no cell phone reception and he had no way of communicating with me.

He told me that they had offered him a job there at Los Angeles, it paid way more than what we earned at the precinct and they would pay for his appartment. Who could say no to that, and in sunny LA! God, he would be an idiot if he wouldn't take it. He was very clear with me that he was just hearing them out and hadn't made any decisions. That he wanted my input on this. His reasons, I was his best friend and the last few years, we hadn't actually been so far away from each other, except during the days that Klaus and his minions had grab any of us but we knew that we were still in the same state and the other was close by. This time it would be different. We would be miles apart and hours away, it would be completely different.

As much as the separation would kill me, it was a great opportunity for him and I wasn't gonna be what would stop him. He deserved this and much more for all he had to go through. So I insisted that he really think about it and that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. That we wouldn't see each other every day but we could talk on the phone and we could see each other over vacations. Every word making my heart shatter a little bit more. I am still astounded that I was able to maintain control over the emotion that could have made it to my voice as well as my heart rate.

Oh, and if that wasn't enough! The last call that we had was a knife to the heart. As we were talking I heard someone in the background. Then I realized that he was somewhere with some friends or something. I smiled as I asked him and he said that he had invited some of his colleagues to his apartment for a beer, or bourbon in his case, to relax after a long day and before they were to head off to the campsite. It was then that I heard the sound, better said I heard her voice. I can remember it as if I was hearing it right now. A woman had come to his side and was urging him to come play twister with her, to be her partner. She clearly liked him since she had a seductive tone to her voice.

My mouth had gone dry. And all I could do at that moment was use whatever excuse I had to end the conversation. I couldn't take it anymore and I didn't want to break down and have him hear me. So after he had finished saying no to her in his new gentlemanly ways, I urged him to go play if he wanted to and that we would talk as soon as he could call me. That I had to end the call because Caroline was on the other line, probably with information on our new case and I had to wake up early the next day to do a whole bunch of interrogations. I said goodbye and ended the call. I threw my phone on the bed and slumped on the floor crying. That night I cried myself to sleep.

I haven't heard from him since. And it hurts knowing that he is there in a camp with no cell service and a woman is throwing herself at him. And I couldn't blame her, I really couldn't. But that doesn't mean that I don't feel jealous, that doesn't mean that I don't feel hurt. The fact that he has moved on and I am still in love with him is sad. I'm stuck in this loop and can't get out. But I know that he has my heart and I would never be able to love anyone like I love him. Love for me was that time when we tried to make this work, that time when we held each other and the world would disappear around us.

Caroline had noticed that I had grown increasingly somber as each day passed. She had asked me what was wrong and I just said that I thought that I had caught a cold or something. And I told her a half truth. I told her that I missed having the three musketeers working on cases together. When she agreed with my sentiment I told her about the job offered to Damon. She was sad as well to think that he would probably take it but agreed with me that this was a great opportunity for him. We could still work on trying to grab a vacation and hit the beaches of Malibu while we would crash in his apartment. I genuinely laughed at her ideas and agreed to go along with them but that still didn't make the void I felt that Damon had left in my heart decrease in size.

The afternoon after my talk with Caroline had been long and tedious, especially since we had done a lot of paperwork and no field work, which is always boring. It was like being on desk duty all over again, just like the time I was shot. I had gotten to the apartment and taken a long hot bath to try to relax my aching muscles from sitting in the same position for many hours. I had made myself a nice hot dinner and had watched a movie. Then I went to bed.

"Wow, what a surprise! I cannot sleep! Again!" I bitterly thought to myself as I got out of bed and padded in the darkness towards my kitchen. I opened the fridge and pulled out a beer. Maybe if I drink one or two I can start to feel dizzy as I'm starting to get drunk and sleep a little. Just as I am about to open the beer I hear someone at my door. Damn it! I had left my gun in my room. Shit, who the hell could be at my apartment at 3 in the morning! Oh please don't let it be a psycho perp! Just let it be my neighbor asking to use my phone cause she lock herself out.

Just then the door slowly opens, without making very much noise.


	23. Nighttime Intrusions

Hello Everyone, today I have two chapters for you and Im pretty sure that we are getting super close to the end of the story... maybe 3 more chapters after this. So let me know what you guys think and what you want the ending to be like to see if I can add it into my draft. All my love, OA.

 **CHAPTER 22: Nighttime Intrusion.**

 **Disclaimer: I do Not own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

 **EPOV**

Panic started to overtake me. I quickly looked over the kitchen in search of something that I could use as a weapon to defend myself. I took hold of an eating knife that I had left drying and grasped it firmly in my hand. It won't help much but it still may give me some time to stab the unwelcomed visitor and then run for my gun in the bedroom.

As I concentrated my adrenaline on preparing for an attack, I couldn't help but have my thoughts drift to Damon. I was both glad and frustrated that he wasn't here, or at least close by. I was glad because he was out of harm's way, since I know that he would go for the assailant and not let me defend myself. On the other hand I was frustrated because it was the first time since the time that we had known each other that I knew that he wasn't nearby, and that fact made me feel less safe, even though I know I can probably handle the assailant on my own. That sense of security for myself left with him.

As the door opens very slowly and softly I prepare to jump onto my assailant when he or she would pass by the kitchen towards the living room. Then I heard it and my heart just stopped.

"Calm down Elena, it's just me. Besides you should be sleeping right now." His husky voice traveled through the corridor and hit like a ton of bricks. Instantly the fear I had felt was washed away and joy replaced it.

"Damon! Damon is that really you?" And with that I just put down the knife and peaked around the fridge. I think that he noticed that I didn't quite believe that he was really standing there in front of me. He brings his suitcase in and gently closes the door behind him. He places the keys in the shelve that we had placed near the door for this purpose. He then took of his jacket and hanged it in the closet.

During this time I had moved to the living room and sat on the couch, trying to decide if it was reality or not. Wow, have I sunk this low! Now my brain is playing tricks on me...

 **DPOV**

I had heard Elena's heartbeat as I got closer and closer to the apartment. This place that I had called my home (of course in my mind and never out loud) since the bad ending of what supposed to be the perfect day. I tried to calm her a little bit but she looked like I was a ghost so I let her try to cope with whatever she was feeling but one thing I am certain is that she is really surprised to see me.

After I was done with my things I walked toward the living room where she was sitting on the sofa and knelt in front of her. She had covered her face with both hands so I gently took them in my own and pulled a bit so that she uncovered her face. I think this did the trick because she then just looked at me in shock and with some unshed tears in her eyes.

Seeing her like this, and not really understanding what was happening, it just broke my heart. I did the only thing that I could do, I got up from my position and sat down beside her, wrapping my arms around her in a hug. At first she was trying to control herself and her body was tense, but then she decided to let go and she leaned into my hug.

 **EPOV**

I wanted so bad to shield myself, to not get hurt again when he told me of his girlfriend but my resolve wavered too soon. He had wrapped his arms around me and I just couldn't control my body for too long. My brain forgot to think clearly and I just let it, deciding that I would allow myself to forget the consequences and that I would live in the moment. I leaned into his hug, feeling him hold me tighter to his body. My arms decided to move even before their intentions got to my brain. One of them slithered around his waist and the other went to rest on his chest.

After what I felt was too short of a time, Damon gently untangled us and took my chin into his hand, forcing me to look at him, since I was avoiding his gaze. The thing is that I couldn't concentrate. I had to use all of my energy to try to control my heart rate since I knew all too well that he could hear it. The nearness of him after the "Damon fast" I had been put on was just too overwhelming. The fact that I had thought that I wouldn't see him again and here I was now in his arms and felt safe from harm, made all my emotions feel all the more sensitive.

When I finally looked into his eyes I felt like I was drowning in a sea of blue and that he was looking into all the depths of my soul and reading my deepest darkest secrets. We just stayed locked in each other's gaze for a while until Damon spoke.

 **DPOV**

"What are you thinking Elena?" It's merely a whisper but I know very well that she heard me, since she moved her gaze from my eyes to some point past my shoulder. I wanted to take her in my arms again and never let her go but I also knew that that could be crossing some lines and for nothing in this world I would put my friendship with her on the line.

She sighed and then looked back at me. "Damon what are you doing here?"

I had thought of many things that could be going in her head but I certainly forgot to explain the situation to her. Why was I here, why this late and how come I hadn't called as soon as I got leave to make calls or tell her that I was coming back.

I start to feel uncomfortable, so I let go of her and stood up, walking towards the doors of her balcony. The instant I had moved away from her I had felt cold, empty, and I missed the feeling of her skin. I combed my hand through my hair which now thinking about it really needs a trim. Mental note: ask Elena how she thinks my hair looks better and then go get a haircut. I shake my head to get my thoughts in order.

"Umm... I just got out of the plane and well... there are two reasons one I kinda left the keys to the boarding house here and Stefan moved in with Caroline so I really didn't want to break into my own house. And second I hadn't talked to you for a while and I hadn't seen you in a longer period so I wanted to come by and see how you were doing." I rambled and knew that I was just going in circles, never really talking about the real reason I was here.

"Ok, but Damon I mean what are you doing here in New York, I thought that you were going to stay in LA for that job they offered you?" She asked but her voice was barely audible. I know that I heard it because of my enhanced hearing.

"Well Elena," I move and sat in one of the kitchen benches. "When we were done in the camp I got pulled aside and asked if I wanted the job. I actually thought about it all the time I was there. But I got to the conclusion that I couldn't accept it. My heart wasn't really in it. I know it was a great opportunity, that one like that doesn't come everyday but I just couldn't make myself want it enough to accept it. You know something, all of my life and the vast majority of my memories are here New York and Virginia. Some of my darkest hours and some of the best times of my life have been in this side of the country. And even through the bad times, I still love this area! I wasn't gonna just stay there in LA! It's totally wrong, sun all the time and beaches 24/7? It's not something that I would love to have with me all the time, I think I would just got way too accustomed to shadows and the night. Besides my friends and family are here, I couldn't bring myself to leave them behind for a job." I had rambled for some time and I hadn't noticed that Elena had moved to the backside of the couch and was sitting on it top, with her arms folded in her chest looking at me as if I was keeping something from her, which I was. God, why is it that this woman can read my like an open book, even the things that I wanna keep from her.

She looked me straight in the eyes "Damon, is there anything else that you want to tell me about your time in LA?" Her voice was calm and controlled but there was just a hint of something that I couldn't quite put my finger at.

"Well.. Elena..." I was just frozen, and really didn't know how to tell her, even worse was that she had put me on the spot with this. Might as well just get it over with.


	24. Possessed

Here is the second chapter for today... any opinions? All my love, OA.

 **CHAPTER 23: Possessed.**

 **Disclaimer: I do Not own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

 **EPOV**

"What is it Damon? You know you can tell me anything, right?" I told him with all the softness I could summon into my voice. I really wanted the ground to open beneath my feet and swallow me whole! I really didn't want to hear what he was going to say but I needed to and to show him that I will always be here for him, that I will always be his friend and that he can still count on me. No matter what, his friendship would still be the most important thing for me.

"Well Elena, I don't really think it has to do with LA alone... in all honesty I don't really know how to tell you this..." He was stammering and I couldn't wait any longer!

"What is it Damon? What can't you tell me? The fact that you are afraid of a whole lot of change or the fact that you have a girlfriend?" At this point my heart was going faster than race cars but I just left myself throw all my emotions in my words and hand motions.

"Wait, what are you talking about Elena? Girlfriend?" Damon looked really confused and this got me even more frustrated!

"Yeah, the girl that was talking to you the last time we talked on the phone. The one that was calling you to go play, what was it.. oh right twister with her! And as her partner! You remember her right?" By this point I had wrapped my hands tightly around myself as if that position would help protect the little that was left of my heart and keep me whole.

"Who are you talking about? Vikki? Well she is the only one you can be talking about because she was the only girl that agreed to join the group. And no Vikki is not my girlfriend! She didn't even like me in that way!" He ran his hand through his hair and I knew that he was starting to get frustrated as well.

"Oh, really? Then answer me this Damon, what kind of girl comes over to a man and tells him in a very seductive voice to 'be my partner in twister Damon, we will win! You seem very strong and I am very flexible!'" I said with my best imitation of her odious honey like seductive tone while I twirled a strand of hair between my fingers.

Damon's head shot up and he stood up. "First of all I said no to the game and never did play. Second, she said the same thing to all the guys. Thirdly she threw herself at all of us!" He then walked over to me and grabbed me by the arms to prevent me from escaping his question and looking me straight in the eye asked "Are you jealous Elena?"

I forced myself to look at him straight in the eyes "No! Why would I be?"

"Because of the way you are acting right now! Besides what other reason would you have to ask me that?" He said as he tried to hold my gaze, which I kept to try to seem more truthful than what I was really was.

"Because I am frustrated that you didn't tell me yourself. Because I thought I was your friend and that there were no secret between us and I was frustrated that I always tell you everything and you didn't trust me enough to tell me of your girlfriend!" It was partially true but this didn't make the words sting less.

With that he let go of me, threw his hands to the air and started pacing in front of me.

"I don't get this Elena! First you accuse me of having a girlfriend and act all jealous and then when I confront you, you just say that it's because I'm just trying to be a good friend! well weren't you the one that said we should go our own ways, have other relationships?" I could clearly read the confusion on his face.

"Yes and that was when I had had enough with Klaus, he had abducted me three times more, got to Stefan, Jeremy and almost killed Caroline! I could handle all the tortures I went through but he tried to get other people involved and this was what I couldn't handle. Damn it Damon he took you! For a whole freaking month! Stefan and I were crazy looking for you! He had you worse than a damn lab rat! You don't know how much that broke my heart! I couldn't take it anymore I wanted the pain to end and other than just leaving this whole thing behind it was better to stop our relationship!" I was yelling by this point and I didn't care!

"Yes and you were the one that backed up! Even when I pleaded! You were the one that said you were not in our relationship anymore!" he kept pacing but now he was starting to shake his head to try to control his anger.

"Yes I admit it! It was me! I was the coward one! I was the one that shielded myself! But look where that led us! We concentrated more on the task and we brought Klaus down and you have a normal human life back! Something you always wanted!" Just when I thought I couldn't get more flustered there I go, proving myself wrong!

"But at what cost Elena! Pain, suffering, heartbreak?! You might have moved on but I didn't! You were my everything, my world and you just shattered it! Didn't even look back! Why Elena? Why would you do that to me? Even when you knew damn well what you meant to me!" By this point he had stopped pacing and was all in my personal space. His face was red from the anger and pain and his eye, oh God his eyes, there was so much pain in them that I thought I would die! He was crying and he wasn't even bothering wiping the tears away.

"Because it was what was best for you! Damn it, Damon I did that for you! Do you really think it was easy for me to do it? You damn well knew how I felt about you! And about not looking back I didn't because if I did I would just run back into your arms and I couldn't! It was for your own safety! Damon, the last time Klaus had grabbed me he had shown me pictures of you and I! He knew that I was your weak spot! Your achilles heel! I needed to get myself as far away as I could form you so he would have to try to regroup! Damn it I hated every second I acted as if I was in a relationship with Liam! He knew damn well that it was make belief but Klaus did not! That is why we got him! And after that it was just, I don't know, not meant to be..." What had started as a yell, a scream of anguish, had turned to shattered whispers. The words that I had fought to keep hidden where now coming to the surface and even though they didn't hurt less they were kind of liberating!

"That doesn't make the hurt I went through go away! I didn't know that at that moment and you didn't trust me enough to tell me! I didn't make the fact that you "had a relationship with Liam" less hurtful! It didn't make my desires for Klaus to kill me any less potent! You asked me once what had possessed me to let Klaus take me and do whatever, it was desire to die! I couldn't think of living in a world without you! You completely shut me out and I couldn't handle it! Yes I took the easy route out but I just wanted to stop feeling pain!" He kept on with hurt and anger in his voice.

"That doesn't make what you did any less stupid! You didn't even consider Stefan! Damn it Damon you didn't even consider why I had shut you out so suddenly? Why, after I had told you that I love you..." I had been yelling at him again and I had let the tears flow freely down my cheeks but I was cut short.


	25. Tough Hearts

Hey guys here are two more chapters for today. I just wanted to let you all know that after these 2 there is only one more chapter left to finish this story. Let me know what you guys think. All my love, OA.

 **CHAPTER 24: Tough Hearts.**

 **Disclaimer: I do Not own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

 **DPOV**

I couldn't handle it anymore! I have loved her for more than 12 years! I had desired her for more than 12 years! I needed her more than I need water, food and oxygen to live! I brought everything out in the open, all my secret thoughts, my hurt by what she had done all that time ago. I had to see her point of view, I had to let her know that I hadn't moved one, that I couldn't. That I was still hers! But the way she answered, the disdain she had for herself that I saw in her eyes let me know that she hadn't moved on either. That all this time she has only had a facade on and that the feelings we both have for each other are still there, maybe now more than ever.

I had put all of my love and passion into that kiss. I had literally taken her in my arms, molding our bodies together! I needed her as close to me as I could get her, but even though her body was pressed against mine it still wasn't enough!

I could feel her shock at my actions but as fast as the shock had registered her reaction changed. She had allowed to let herself go. She responded with more passion than I thought she could have in her. She pushed me back a little bit so that she could stand on the floor and pressed our bodies even closer. Her hands went into my hair as she deepened the kiss even more. My brain lost all coherent thought and my body was on fire.

We pulled away for need of air. We were both panting but we didn't loosen our grip on each other. As we tried to regain our breaths, our foreheads were touching and our eyes were closed. Our heartbeats were frantic but were beating to the same harmony. I was the first one to break the silence.

"I have a confession to make Elena." I felt her open her eyes and shift a little so that she could look at me better. I sigh and open my eyes. "I never actually had another relationship. I just let you think that I had to see if I could make you jealous. I know it was childish but I didn't know what to do. You had moved on and only wanted to be my friend." I closed my eyes because I felt like a complete idiot, I felt stupid for what I had done.

Elena just took her hand from my hair and placed it on my cheek and caressed it. She had this power over me that I still don't understand. I unconsciously and instinctively leaned into her touch. That touch, the way she caresses my face, it is a small action that feels so intimate, it's so Elena. As I opened my eyes I see that she has a twinkle in her eye and is smiling at me, which made my heart swell gloriously in my chest and hope filled my entire soul.

"Damon I have a confession to make as well. I never had a relationship either. The closest thing that came to one was the facade I had with Evan and he damn well knew that it was fake. Besides if you didn't do the math, this was the same time he met Ariana, who he then married." She kept caressing my cheek and that gave me strength to keep going.

"I have another confession to make. I.. I actually never filled the annulment papers." With this I drop my head in shame even though I didn't lessen my hold of her waist.

"Damon.." She cupped my face and forced me to look at her. "Why?" That simple question was one that needed a long explanation so I went for the one that was short concise and to the point.

"I love you and I didn't want to lose you. I was way too happy being your husband and being able to call you my wife and I really acted selfish and decided that I wanted to have you as my wife even if it was fake, for a little while longer. I know that I should have done the right thing and given you your liberty …" I couldn't continue my badly worded/rambling explanation because she had so sweetly and gracefully interrupted me with a extremely passionate kiss. All the things that I had wanted to explain to her went out the window as she kissed me and I kissed her back. Oh Lord did I kiss her back!

She was the one to pull away first and looked at me with so much love in her eyes that I thought that if I died in that moment I would be a man that knew what true love and complete bliss felt like and there are not a lot of people that even came close to feeling this in their lifetimes.

"Damon.." she said breaking my line of thought and focusing all my attention on her. "I confess that I actually didn't want you to file them. I am not mad, on the contrary I am happy! I am the happiest women in the world because I am married to you. That's the real reason why I haven't taken my rings off because I love the idea of being yours and you being mine." She smiles and my world just became her and only her.

"Elena... I just have to tell you that those words are the best and sweetest words that I have ever heard in my life because the only thing that I truly wanna be in this life is your husband, the man that tries to make you happy and feel special every second of everyday until the last breath escapes my lips." And I kissed her and gave her my heart and soul in each kiss we shared.

"Oh two more things." I said with an evil grin on my face.

"Yes." She said with a seductive voice which made me use all the control I could find in me to stay in my train of thought.

"One, all the people that I met in LA know that I am married to this wonderful and beautiful and perfect women called Elena." I smile at her and she just laughs. The sound making my heart skip a beat or two.

"And the other?" She said as she took on of her hands and ran her finger over my shirt, drawing circles in my chest.

I gulped loudly and that made her smirk. I then leaned in and whispered in her ear with my voice even huskier than normal thanks to her effect on me "I actually really love your nightgown. You should wear those a little bit more often." I could see that she was blushing profoundly. I think that in the midst of everything that had happened she had forgotten that she was wearing so little clothes. I just chuckled and kissed her again.

As things started to get more heated up and hands started to become a little bit too adventurous, I picked her up bridal style which elicited her to pull away laughing wholeheartedly to the point that she even threw her head backwards and pulled herself closer to me. She then looked at me and as our eyes locked with each other, we could feel a fire burning in both of us and we molded to each other.

I don't really know how or with what part of my brain I did it, but I slowly had moved us to her bedroom and had closed the door. At that point we were sure of two things. One that we loved each other and two that we were going to start a new chapter in our lives, a real marriage and that we would do it together, us against the world.


	26. Awakening

Sorry this is a shorter chapter but this was just too sweet not to post! What do you think? Was it worth it to post it? All my love, OA.

 **CHAPTER 25: Awakening.**

 **Disclaimer: I do Not own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

 **EPOV**

I don't want to open my eyes I don't want to be awaken from this beautiful dream! I had dreamt of Damon being back! I had dreamt of us fighting and ending the fight in a couple of earth shattering passionate kisses! I had dreamt of proclamations of hurt and of love! I had dreamt of a marriage consummation! I had dreamt about loving and being loved completely! I had dreamt of knowing that my soul had intertwined forever with his! I had dreamt that I had fallen asleep in the arms of the man that I love more than life itself and that loved me back! I had dreamt of the feel of his body, of the caresses and the kisses, of the whispered words of love, passion and worship, I had dreamt of his scent and his love! It was the most beautiful dream I have had and the one that I would give anything to have made a reality.

I felt as I was nearing more and more complete consciousness and I fought with every fiber in my being to prevent this from happening. I didn't want to wake up and face the reality of my sad and lonely life! I wanted to keep myself in that dreamland where Damon and I were happy to be in each other's arms and where our whole life was each other, the world fading in the background. In this world I was really happy, in eternal bliss. As I regained complete consciousness I felt crushed because it was all a wonderful dream. I still refused to open my eyes and to face my reality without Damon. I felt a tear slip through my closed eyelid and I left it make its way down my cheek.

Just then I felt a tender thumb caressing the tear away. I breath in and sense his scent, my Damon's scent. My mind is really powerful, since I was imagining that he was there with me, giving me some form of comfort.

"What's wrong, Elena?" I heard his sweet voice, a breath in my ear. At the same time I feel him gently pulling me towards him for an embrace. I allowed my mind play tricks on me since I don't really want them to end. I would live this sweet dream as long as my mind wants to play with me. I know that the pain of it not being reality will hit me once I get back to reality but I just want to be happy in this moment.

The feel of his body next to mine, the feel of his arm tight around my waist drawing small circles in my back to soothe me and his other arm softly caressing my hair was overwhelming. It was intoxicating and it felt so real. I took one of my hand and placed it on his chest, feeling his heartbeat underneath my touch while my other one explored his bare back. I then feel a sweet kiss on my forehead. This is just getting to be too much so I decide against my real desires that is time to face reality.

I slowly open my eyes and I find myself drowning in a pair of ocean blue eyes. I blink once, twice, three times. Am I still asleep?

"Are you ok?" I could see concern in his eyes but I still couldn't believe that this was true. Where my dreams really a reality? I could feel my heart rate start to pick up as I lower my gaze and start to softly caress his chest with my hand trying to make sure that he was really here.

As my brain registered that he really was there, that all I thought where sweet dreams were real passionate memories, my heart swells gloriously at the fact that he is mine and I am his! I then just as quickly as I realize this my body melts to his and my lips claim his with more passion that I thought I had in my soul. At first he was shocked at my sudden reaction but then he pulled me even closer and kissed me back with as much passion as I was kissing him. He is the one that pulls away since we do need oxygen but he lets our foreheads rest together as our heart rates go back to normal and our breathing becomes more even.

"Good morning to you too." He grinned at me as he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. I couldn't help but smile back at him. I was just so overwhelmed with joy that I didn't even notice that I was crying.

Damon slowly lowered his head and literally kissed my tears away, which made me smile and pull his lips till they found mine. This kiss was slower and sweet. As we pull away, he caresses my cheek with his thumb and I rest my head on his chest. We stay quiet for a couple of minutes and Damon is the first one to speak up.

"I'm here if you wanna talk about whatever it is that is in your mind." I smile as I reach over to take his hand in mine and intertwined our fingers.

"I was crying right now because I was happy. They were tears of joy, because I really am overjoyed about us and last night and today and our plans for the future." I felt him place a long kiss on my hair and I just give him a little squeeze on the waist, kinda like a half hug. "The first tear that I shedded wasn't because of joy but because of sadness. As I woke up I thought that last night had just been an incredible dream. One that I would never obtain, a love that would go unfulfilled for all my love. That we would never have this and that you weren't here with me."

I felt Damon shift and place his hand under my chin, gently pushing it up so that I had to look into his eyes. "Hey, you are not getting rid of me that easily. I am here with you now and till you don't want me to anymore. Remember, you and me against the world. Forever."

"Forever" I repeated before our lips met again. This time the kiss held our promise, the promise to be there to help each other, to catch the other when they fell, to be in the good and the bad times the foundation of a life of love.


	27. Diamond from across the sea

I have this chapter and then an epilogue and this story comes to an end. Thank you to all the people that read this and that shared their comments with me. All my love, OA.

 **CHAPTER 26: Diamond from across the sea.**

 **Disclaimer: I do Not own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

 **EPOV**

After we had made breakfast and ate it in bed, Damon moved the Tv from the living room to our room. OUR room! God, I'm acting like a teenager that has just been asked by her crush to the dance. But what the heck, I don't remember being ever as happy as I am right now, well our wedding came pretty close but still. As we were in bed just in each other's arms not really paying attention to what was playing in tv, Damon had been caressing my arm with one hand and playing aimlessly with my rings with the other.

"Damon," I said as I shifted so I could look at him more easily.

He locked down without stopping his small caresses. "Yes."

"Before everything happened, umm... you know Jenna wanted the perfect elements to her wedding" I could see the pain in his eyes. I knew that he was thinking that he should have protected me better that day, but there was really nothing anyone could have done. He held me closer and I just continued.

"Well she said that from me she wanted the Something old. She also said that she heard I think it was Alaric talking about my engagement ring not being purchased, but that you already had it. So I was wondering if that was a story that you made up so the boys would think it was more romantic or if it was the engagement ring you gave Katherine..." I didn't know what to say and I knew that if I didn't stop myself I would just keep on babbling so I left it there and waited for his response.

"Elena, first of all no it wasn't a story. I did not purchase your engagement ring. I went with the boys to the jewelers to have it sized for you. Second I would never in this lifetime or any of the previous or next ones give you the same ring I had given Katherine. That would just be cruel and stupid of me. Besides I don't really have that engagement ring, Katherine did and I don't really know what she did with it. Elena, the engagement ring you are wearing, that was my mothers. When me and my brother where children, we sat down by the fire every christmas and heard stories. When I was about five or six, we were up at a cabin by the fire hearing christmas stories and well being "mama's boy" meant that I had the privilege of sitting in mom's lap since Stefan wanted to sit with dad. I remember that as she was telling the story I had been playing with her rings and when she finished and she asked what story we wanted to hear I asked her about the ring." I smile against his chest and cuddle closer to him.

"She went on to tell us that the ring had been my paternal grandmother's ring. So my grandpa had been a ship captain for the navy and he had traveled the world. My grandma had been his best friend since they were born, they grew up together and they had fallen in love but both had been too shy and nervous to tell the other before he had gone to serve. One of his stops was in Tuscany, a place my grandma had always said that she would love to visit, especially because for her the jewelry from this place was the most exquisite in the world. So he went into a couple of stores and got her little pieces of jewelry but then as he was passing a jeweler's he saw the ring. And he instantly knew that that was her ring, the one he would propose with. So he bought it and when he got back from service he went straight to her. She had gone to their spot, a little hill behind their houses, hidden from the world. My grandpa went to the their spot and as he got there he saw this beautiful women on the top of the hill, with the wind softly caressing her and her hair flowing around like a halo. She felt his presence and turned around. They both smiled at each other and they ran meeting half way in a huge hug. They felt whole again. As they finished their embrace he bent on one knee and proposed, she said yes and they shared their first kiss. Well needless to say they went to Tuscany for their honeymoon and they had a happy life. My grandma gave my dad, an only child, the ring before she died when he was 18. She told him that he should give the ring to his one true love, to the person that made him feel complete. So my dad gave it to my mom and they had a happy life, before her death." He chuckled at the memory.

"Well when she was finished with the story she looked at us and Stefan was making faces and stated that he wouldn't get married. Figures that he would be the first of us to get engaged! I remembered that I tugged at my mom's shirt and as she looked at me I asked her if I could have the ring because I wanted to give it to my girl one day. She smiled and promised me that the ring would be mine since I had been the first to ask for it. Stefan tried to convince me to give him the ring since he wanted it for Caroline and because I hadn't used it with Katherine. He also knew that I would only give it to you and since that didn't seem like a possibility for some time he wanted the ring. But I held off and said that even if I never gave it to anyone it was still something of our mom;s and that she has left it for me so he would have to go buy a ring for Caroline. Beside, so you think Barbie would have been content with it… she is too much of a beauty queen and loves big rocks way too much. In the end I was the one that got the ring and there was no way of making mom back down from her promise." He chuckles a bit. I imagine that he was remembering his mom. I am glad that he has gotten to the point where he can think about her and the good memories without guilt or sadness but with joy of the times they shared together.

"I took it from dad's safe when I went to war. The ring and a little cross. She said that those were the things that would make me life whole and keep her safe. So I took both things to keep her close to me, the cross so God would protect me and the ring to remember two things. One that my mother loved me and that out of love I was in this world and second, that I had a life ahead of me and that I had to come back to find the one true love that I would share it with." I sigh as I think how lucky I am that he picked me to spend the rest of his life with. I still had questions but he had shared so much that I wanted to give him space to recover and I didn't want to push him to tell me things that he didn't want to.

 **DPOV**

I could feel that Elena wanted to say something but was holding back. I know that it is because she doesn't want to push but I was feeling better than ever, actually sharing with her things about my past. The past I had at first refused to tell her but that gradually kept given her information here and there. I kept thinking about what other important things about my life before her I had not told her yet but I kept coming up blank.

"Elena, what is in your mind? What is it that you want to ask me? You know that you can ask me anything and I will answer you with all the honesty in the world." She sighed and looked up sheepishly at me.

"Why do you have so much power over me? Why can you read me like a book?" I smile and gently kiss her lips.

"The same way you can do it with me. Because you are my one true love, my other half and my soul mate." She blushed a little and looked down as she aimlessly drew patterns on my stomach.

"I was just wondering. Knowing the story of the ring and the fact that you knew that it was yours, why didn't you give it to Katherine?" I really didn't expect that question and come to think about it I had never actually pondered on this issue.

"In all honesty Elena, I have never given it much thought. I think that the fact that I proposed to her because it was the next thing to do, what was expected of us. I won't deny to you that I did think that I loved her but our relationship had become routine and a web of lies and manipulation from her end. She had always talked about what type of ring she would have wanted when she got engaged. So when I did propose I went and got her the kind of ring that she wanted. I guess that giving her my mom's ring didn't feel right." I shrugged as I finished my account, knowing that the words that had come out of my lips where the truth.

She looked at the ring and then at me. "Then why did you give it to me? Especially when the whole thing was just an undercover assignment and not real?

"Well, the fact that I wanted it to be real might have influenced my decision." I took a deep breath, even though she knows I love her, I still want her to know everything I feel about her, I want her to get a look into my heart and see that she is the only one in there. "The fact that what I feel for you, I have never felt for anyone. Elena, it felt wrong giving you any other engagement ring that wasn't my moms. Since Bonnie told me what I had to do I knew that that was the ring that I was going to give you. Yes I went to the jewelers but I never even considered the idea of buying a new ring, I just got this one sized for you. Well you can ask Alaric, that great friend actually was trying to convince me not to get engaged and then when he noticed that it wasn't worth it, he tried to convince me that it was better to give you a new ring since he is very sure that women care about the bling not the sentimentality behind the rings."

Elena chuckled and kept playing with our intertwined hands that were lying in my stomach. "I thought that if it were real you would appreciate this ring more, so I used it. Honestly, apart from the fact that I love you and that I want to spend the rest of my life with you, I have never been more sure of anything in my life."

At that moment Elena looked up at me and my world stopped. There was so much love and passion in her gaze that I knew that I could die then and there because I was a happy man. She reached up and with her fingers in my hair pulled my head towards hers, and kissed me. That kiss, I never knew that you can put so much love and passion and feeling into just one kiss. Just when I thought I couldn't love her anymore, I was proved wrong. What I thought was too soon, she pulled away and with her forehead against mine, merely whispered, "I agree with all of what you said and I feel the same. You of all people really know that I have never been able to let anyone really enter my life after what happened with my parents but this, us, you... that is the thing that I have been the most sure in my life. I want this now and forever."

My heart swelled so much that I thought it would burst inside of me. I was so filled with joy. I just smiled and kissed her. And with that kiss I swore to her that I would never leave her side, that I would tell her how beautiful she was and how much I loved her every single day of my life until I die, that I would do whatever is in my power to make her happy and to take all the pain away.


	28. Epilogue: A look into the future

So, unfortunately, like every story in this world, mine has come to an end. I wanna thank you all for reading my story and for being so supportive of it! I really have tried to give justice to all the characters in my story and I hope that this would make them proud. Again Thank You for your support and on with the beginning of the end. All my love, OA.

 **Epilogue: A look into the future.**

 **Disclaimer: I do Not own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

 **EPOV**

I couldn't help relieve all of my life with Damon. The ups, downs and the fun, especially the circumstances around our marriage. Who would have thought that a super vampire with special qualities and a broken girl from Mystic Falls would come together as we did and come out from some very dark places to get to achieve a life together. And I can't complain, it hasn't been perfect, all couples have their days, but I can say that we are both fully committed to our relationship and are truly happy. I am one of the few extremely lucky people that can say that they have actually found true love, their soul mate in their life.

And that is all I can wish for Lily Miranda.

I couldn't help but smile at the thought that she was just about to walk down the aisle and marry the man she loves and that truly loves her. They had gone through some bad things, mainly her cancer scare, and they had come out of it stronger because they were together. And today was the very well deserved end to it. I can only wish that Lily Miranda and Michael are as happy and in love as Damon and myself are after all these years.

I hadn't noticed that I had been crying until I felt Damon wipe away my tears with his handkerchief. He gave me a reassuring smile, although I knew that he felt the same mixed emotions that I was feeling. On the one hand we were so happy that Lily was getting married to this amazing man, but on the other we felt sad that we were losing our little girl, our precious princess. But we would gain a new son, and we were more than sure that Michael would really take care of our only child.

The event went off without a hitch and after Damon had had his teary eyed dance with his daughter and I had had the chance to dance with the groom, we had decided to enjoy the event and danced the night away, like two teenagers that were out on their first date.

We said our goodbyes to the newlyweds and stayed at the reception site until the last of the guests departed. After everything was taken care of, we went home. Exhausted yet happy and a little sad.

"What are you thinking about Damon?" I asked him as I curled with him on the sofa.

"I was just remembering. When Lils was born, her first step, the first time she said dad, her first day at school, her high school graduation, when she finished Medical school and her residency, you know..." He trailed off and I chimed in.

"I assume you are also remembering the first time she had a date and you almost made the guy run away, which gained you the silent treatment for like two days. Or the time that she almost killed you because you weren't thrilled that she had gotten her own apartment and was moving out." He chuckled and pulled me closer.

"You know that she will always love you and you are daddy, and she will always be daddy's little princess, the only one that could make him do whatever she wanted by just looking at him!"

He then gave a wholehearted laugh, which was contagious and made me start laughing as well.

"Well, you do know that the ability of melting my heart and to do what she wanted was something that she got from you right?" I leaned in and kissed him and with a shy look in my eye, which was totally fake by the way, I whispered: "No way?! Really? And here I thought that I had no control over you, especially with my puppy dog eyes."

I give him an all-knowing smile and he throws his head back in laughter, one of my favorite sounds in the world and one that I was fortunate enough to get to hear more and more often as time went by.

He then looked at me and simply asked: "So what now?"

I smile, remembering all the times that he has asked me this question over the years and just look at him and give him the thing that popped in my head and that my heart wanted to tell him.

"Just keep loving each other and living life relishing in our love. Damon, we are truly lucky people. We have found each other and have been lucky to be together, we have a truly wonderful daughter and now we were lucky enough to see her find her other half and be happy as well. Even with all the turmoil the world has sent us we have been stronger together and able to overcome it. And you know why? Because of our life and because of it we are able to save each other."


End file.
